Dual Feedstock Biodiesel Production: Using Sesame Seed Oil and Waste Cooking Oil with KOH Catalysis

Biodiesel is a sustainable fuel derived from animal fats and plant oils. It provides economical alternatives for transportation fuel and is compatible with current petroleum infrastructure. With the growing worldwide need for renewable transportation fuels, biodiesel might be a viable option to integrate into current infrastructure. Biodiesel is made from animal fats or plant oils collected from renewable resources like algae, sunflower, canola, palm, jatropha, oilseed radish, soybean, peanut, castor bean etc. In this research, waste cooking oil (WCO) and sesame seed oil as sources for biodiesel production in Bangladesh were evaluated. Biodiesel production used transesterification, employing 5:1 ratio methanol: triglyceride with KOH acting as a catalyst, and yielded 95.45% output yield for WCO production while for sesame seed oil output reached $\mathbf{8 9. 1 \%}$ yields. Biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil (WCO) and sesame oil has similar characteristics to conventional diesel fuel, such as cetane numbers, viscosities, and calorific values, which meet or exceed the standards set for traditional fuel. This study emphasizes the economic and environmental benefits of producing biodiesel from waste cooking oil (WCO) and sesame oil. These advantages are particularly relevant for developing countries like Bangladesh, since they contribute to energy security and promote environmental sustainability.