Potential of Microalgae Oil Extract From Maluku Waters as a Renewable Fuel Source

Abstract

Biodiesel is an alternative energy that is considered capable of
answering the problem of scarcity of fuel oil. Potential sources of
vegetable oil are microalgae which have higher oil productivity per unit
of land area used when compared to land plants. The large potential of
Microalgae is not widely known, especially those originating from the
waters of Maluku, so research needs to be done to identify the types of
microalgae and the quality of the biodiesel produced. Algae biomass was
obtain by cultivation used Walne medium. The research steps include
extracted microalgae oil with n-hexane, transesterification reaction of
microalgae and methanol oil with BF3CH3OH catalyst, followed by
filtration to separate biodiesel products with glycerol formed and tested
viscosity based on ASTM D 445 method. The results obtained showed
that the type of microalgae was Trichodesmium Erythraemia and had
kinematic viscosity of 2.85 cSt. To determine the chemical content in raw
materials and products, the extracted oil from microalgae and biodiesel
produced ware analysed by GC-MS. From the resulted of the GC-MS test,
it was found that the two largest fatty acid content in microalgae oil,
namely Hexadecanoic acid at 13.19% which is FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl
Ester), and 9-hexadecenoic acid (palmitoleic fatty acid) at 7.18% which
is FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester).