Effect of high-frequency microwave irradiation on Aegle Marmelos Correa oil extraction: kinetic and thermodynamic study

This paper presents the microwave-assisted oil extraction from Aegle marmelos Correa seed. The oil extraction process parameters were optimized based on response surface methodology considering acetone and heptane as solvent and the effect of solvent polarity on oil yield were also studied. The optimized results reveal that oil extraction by MAE method was more efficient than maceration method. The maximum oil extraction yield 42.6% was obtained for the following optimized conditions: the solid-liquid ratio of 1:8, irradiation power of 340 W and at 20 min. Thermodynamic activation energy and enthalpy required for the oil extraction are found to 16.428 kJ/mol and 13.543 kJ/mol respectively. Biodiesel yield of 93% was obtained by undergoing microwave transesterification with 1:6 oil to methanol ratio, 60 C reaction temperature and 0.5 wt.% catalyst at 10 min. Physicochemical properties of biodiesel were evaluated as per EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 standards. It has been found that Aegle marmelos Correa seed oil could be a suitable source for biodiesel production to meet the future energy demand. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.