Title: Evaluation of biodiesel potential of sewage sludge

Authors: Joshua Funminiyi Obisanya; John Adekunle Oyedele Oyekunle; Aderemi Okunola Ogunfowokan; Olalekan Siyanbola Fatoki

Addresses: Institute for Entrepreneurship and Development Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ' Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ' Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ' Department of Chemistry, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract: The energy storing potential of sewage sludge of a waste water treatment facility called Sewage Treatment Oxidation Pond (STOP) was explored in this study with a view to assessing its potential in biodiesel development. Lipids of dried sewage sludge were leached out using a soxhlet extraction technique and the extracted lipids were converted into biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) via acid catalysis transesterification. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was employed for the identification and quantification of resulting FAME while Biodiesel Analyzer© Version 1.1 was used to predict the properties of the biodiesel. High lipid yield of 77.26% was obtained from this study and almost all the biodiesel properties considered conformed to global specifications. It was concluded that the sewage sludge could serve as an alternative and a cheap feedstock for biodiesel development.

Keywords: waste water; energy; oxidation pond; sewage sludge; lipids; biodiesel feedstock.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2018.094118

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2018 Vol.22 No.1/2/3/4, pp.61 - 73

Received: 02 Jun 2017
Accepted: 18 Feb 2018
Published online: 16 Aug 2018 *

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