Thermodynamics and the Fuel Qualities of Produced Biodiesel From Nonedible Biomaterials: RStudio and Central Composite Design Approach

A unique green catalyst was derived from novel powdered Uzere tallow seeds shell calcined at 700°C for 1 h in a muffle furnace. The catalytic activity of the Uzere acidified catalyst was due to a high proportion of sulphur trioxide, calcium oxide, and potassium oxide. The Ozoro Thevetia peruviana seed oil was produced via a Soxhlet instrument using acetone as solvent. The transesterification process was optimized with rotatable central composite design and RStudio, and both tools yielded the same maximum biodiesel output of 97.12 wt.%., at time 70 min, acidified-catalyst 3.5 wt.%, methanol: oil 7:1, and temperature at 65°C. Although both tools generated a similar R² of 0.9989, RStudio generated a better p-value of < 2.2e⁻¹⁶ as against central composite design < 0.001. In addition, RStudio generated more statistical values like kurtosis (2.46) and skewness (−0.112) which were within acceptable bounds. Furthermore, RStudio charts provided a better visual clue and demonstrated superior performance. An activation energy of 79.1 kJmol⁻¹ with an R² of 97.75% was computed from kinetic approach while the thermodynamics approach produced an entropy of −0.0579 kJmol⁻¹, enthalpy of 76.297 kJmol⁻¹, and Gibbs free energy of 95.75, 95.87, 95.98 kJmol⁻¹, at 336, 338, and 340 K, respectively. The results were within accepted bounds. Additionally, the physiochemical and fuel qualities of the produced biodiesel agree with the recommended range. Thus, this produced eco-friendly biodiesel can be used to power diesel engines without any issues for the betterment of the world at large.