Haruna Ibrahim | Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria (original) (raw)

Papers by Haruna Ibrahim

Biodiesel is a renewable diesel produced from animal fats and plant oils by transesterification r... more Biodiesel is a renewable diesel produced from animal fats and plant oils by transesterification reaction. It consists of fatty acid alkyl esters most typically fatty acid methyl esters. Economic evaluation of a pilot plant for a continuous heterogeneous catalytic process of production of biodiesel was evaluated. The plant produces biodiesel from Jatrophacurcas oil and methanol using bulk solid calcium oxide at 60 0 C reaction temperature and a pressure of 1 atm. A production capacity was set up at 11 550 litres of biodiesel and 3 840 litres of glycerol per annually. The estimated total fixed capital cost and total manufacturing cost were N1 600 000 and N8458163.68 which yield a net profit of N2911185.20. The process included the sales of the glycerol co-product of biodiesel into commercial glycerol market which increases the income generated. The plant depreciation was estimated to be N112 000. The return on investment, internal rate of return, payback period and net present value w...

Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable and environmental benign liquid fuel capable of replacing... more Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable and environmental benign liquid fuel capable of replacing fossil diesel. A study on comparison of biodiesel processing raw materials was carried out with palm oil and Jatrophacurcasoilusing calcium oxide catalyst to determine which should be relied upon for biodiesel production. At 600C and 90 minutes of reaction time, the yields of 86.41 % and 99.08 % for palm oil and Jatrophacurcas oil were obtained respectively. The results obtained at650C and 75 minutes were 89.41 % and 96.93 % for palm oil and Jatrophacarcass oil respectively.For all the reactions the mole ratio of methanol to oil was 5.5:1 and the quantity of catalyst used was 1.5 % w/w of oil. The methyl ester contents were analyzed with GC-MS.Jatrophacurcasseed oil gave higher yield but it highly acidic which require more energy, time and materials to refine.

Heterogeneous catalyst of transesterification is gaining more support because of the friendly nat... more Heterogeneous catalyst of transesterification is gaining more support because of the friendly nature of the catalysts, easy separation from the products, their reusability and less process water require. This paper present the efficacy of some of the common solid catalysts for biodiesel production. Many researchers have developed different solid base/acid catalysts for transesterification of vegetable oil in order to replace the conventional homogeneous catalysts that have a lot of limitations. The performances of some of these heterogeneous catalysts with appropriate vegetable oils are reviewed in this paper. K/KOH/ϒ.Al2O3 has yielded 84.5% biodiesel from rapeseed oil, X/Y/MgO/ϒ. Al2O3 yielded 96.1% biodiesel from jatropha curcas oil, SO4/TiO2.nH2O and SO4/Zr(OH)2 yielded 90% biodiesel from cotton seed oil. CaO, SrO, Ca(OCH3)2 and Ca(OCH2CH3)2 yielded 95% biodiesel from soybean oil. ZnO,

Scientists are looking far and wide for the raw material that will yield a new generation of adva... more Scientists are looking far and wide for the raw material that will yield a new generation of advance biofuel, a source that does not divert food into energy, and is abundant enough to make a significant change in the oil market. In this paper, the process of refining the raw Jatropha curcas oil before transesterification was investigated. The study of its oil yield was also investigated with values of 17.43, 11.87% and 10.05% from different sources. The financial viability of Jatropha curcas seed oil for biodiesel production was evaluated and it revealed that the process consume much time and energy. This investigation revealed that, the use of Jatropha curcas oil for biodiesel production is not financially viable in Nigeria as at now. It was also found that the longer the oil is kept the more it deteriorates.

International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 2015

This investigation was necessitated to find other feedstocks for biodiesel production that would ... more This investigation was necessitated to find other feedstocks for biodiesel production that would not compete with food. Kapok oil with 0.8 FFA was transesterified with methanol using a heterogeneous catalyst, CaO to determine its potential for biodiesel production. Methyl esters yields of 70.4, 65.6, 78.2, 71.9 and 72.5% were obtained with catalyst loading of 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.4% (wt. of oil). The products had high compositions of FFA and alcohols which indicates that the oil require more esterification to reduce the feedstock FFA far below 0.8. Some unsaturated hydrocarbons such as alkenes and alkynes were also formed which could make the products unstable.

The depletion of fossil fuel, increase in the world population and environmental hazard associate... more The depletion of fossil fuel, increase in the world population and environmental hazard associated with fossil fuel have rechanneled the world’s interest toward finding a new alternative source of energy that is renewable and sustainable. Forest resources such as biomass wastes can serve as an alternative source of energy due to their availability, renewability, sustainability, biodegradability and environmentally friendly. Reuse of solid wastes by converting them to something useful will better the live of the communities they are generated. In this investigation, Gmelina arborea dead leaves were collected, pulverized, sieved and hydrolyzed with Calcium oxide catalyst and distilled water. The product was filtered, dried with magnesium sulphate and then analyzed with GC-MS. The results of the analysis contained 77.64 g (54.59 %) biodiesel, 25.75 g (18.14 %) furfural and its derivatives, 15.18 g (10.69 %) free fatty acids, 11.49 g (8.03 %) benzene derivatives and 11.996 g (8.45 %) ot...

Transesterification of Jatropha curcas seed oil with methanol using super base calcium oxide (CaO... more Transesterification of Jatropha curcas seed oil with methanol using super base calcium oxide (CaO/ (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 ) catalysts were investigated. Non-supported and alumina supported Super base calcium oxide (CaO/ (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 ) catalysts were synthesized and used to transesterify Jatropha curcas oil with methanol. The effects of reaction time on yields of biodiesel, glycerol and impurities were investigated by using these catalysts. The reactions were carried out with 0.4 % (w/w of oil) catalyst loading, temperature of 60 0 C and mole ratio of 3:1 methanol to oil and reaction times of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min. The results of this investigation revealed that, alumina supported super base calcium oxide catalyst had better performance and also had clearer filtrate of biodiesel products than that of unsupported one. It also produced high quality biodiesel. Keywords: Energy saving, time saving, materials saving, catalytic action, biodiesel yield

A fluidized-bed reactor was designed and constructed for practical demonstration of the fluidizat... more A fluidized-bed reactor was designed and constructed for practical demonstration of the fluidization of solid particles at different fluid flow rates. The bed of this reactor was sand particles of average size 1800 μm ,weighed 0.6 N and the fluidizing fluidwas air. Alternatively, the fluidizing fluid can be substituted for any given gas by connecting the desired gas cylinder to the blower. The height of the bed was 25 mm on a mesh of 1230 μm. An air blower was designed to supply air from the room to fluidize the bed.The shaftand discharge powers of the blower were18.8kW and its efficiency was 70%. The minimum and maximum operating pressures were 0.1133 and 24.5262 mH2O and their corresponding velocities were 0.64 and 245.86 m/s respectively.This project was found suitable for undergraduates of Chemical Engineering and related studies for improved knowledge and practical skill required for effective and optimal performance in meeting industrial needs towards improved service delivery.

A Ph.D THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN ... more A Ph.D THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF A DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA NIGERIA

Chemical Science International Journal, 2018

Chemical Science International Journal, 2017

An investigation was carried on the chemical constituents of Gmelina arborea leaves by hydrolyzin... more An investigation was carried on the chemical constituents of Gmelina arborea leaves by hydrolyzing the pulverized dry leaves with 3% sulphuric acid solution at 100°C for 30 minutes. The extract on analysis with GCMS yielded 31 compounds.

Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 2017

American Chemical Science Journal, 2016

The transesterification process breaks down triglycerides into alkanoates and glycerol back bones... more The transesterification process breaks down triglycerides into alkanoates and glycerol back bones which in turn react with alcohol in the presences of suitable catalyst to produce monoalkyl esters and glycerin. During the transesterification reaction, the glycerol backbone of triglyceride is substituted by alkyl group from alcohol forming fatty acid alkyl esters and glycerol as the major liquid products. A study was carried out to determine the possibility of producing biodiesel by transesterification reaction without the co-product, glycerol. Transesterification reactions were performed at 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65°C for 50, 60, 70, and 80 minutes. The feed stocks were Jatropha curcas seed oil, methanol in the molar ratio of 3:1 (methanol: oil) and 0.4% bulk calcium oxide (CaO) catalyst. Each product was analyzed with GC-MS to determine the methyl esters and glycerol content. Only two products at 65°C had glycerol of 2.228 and 0.21%. The average methyl ester contents were 96.72, 96.23, 97.36 and 79.80% at 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65°C respectively.

American Chemical Science Journal, 2016

Biodiesel has gained support and recognition as a fuel to replace and blending agent with fossil ... more Biodiesel has gained support and recognition as a fuel to replace and blending agent with fossil diesel. In search of non-edible seed oil feedstock that can be used for biodiesel production, an investigation was carried out with calabash seed oil. This is the type of calabash used by Arugungun fishers and Fulani women fresh cow milk hawkers. The seed yielded 39.3% oil by mechanical press. The oil was transesterified with methanol using heterogeneous catalyst (magnesium oxide supported by alumina) with catalyst loading of 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4% (w/w of oil) at 60ºC for 60 minutes. The products had esters content of 90.43, 77.92, 93.64, 96.00 and 83.48% respectively. The viscosity falls between 5.0 and 5.7 mm 2 /s which is within ASTM and EN standards. The biodiesel yield of 61.8, 62.3, 69.7, 69.5 and 78.1% were also recorded. This oil can be a potential for biodiesel production.

Silk cotton tree was macerated and the properties of its pulp were evaluated. Sample sheets of pa... more Silk cotton tree was macerated and the properties of its pulp were evaluated. Sample sheets of paper were produced using hand sheet method and were duly tested for tearing resistance, tensile strength and burst strength. The pulp has fairly long fibre length of 1.674mm. Its papers posses high tearing resistance of 956.48mN and tear factor of 162.50m 2 but low tensile strength of 9.20Nm/g and burst strength 42.50kPa. Therefore its paper products can be used for writing and printing applications.

Nigerian Journal of Technological Research

Recent Advances in Petrochemical Science

In looking for solution to the problems associated with the use of homogeneous catalysts, locally... more In looking for solution to the problems associated with the use of homogeneous catalysts, locally produced hydrated lime was mixed 50:50 with magnesium oxide to incipient, dried and calcined at 760 0 C for 30 minutes. Five runs of transesterification reactions were carried out using this synthesized catalyst (CaO/MgO) with jatropha curcas seed oil and methanol at 60 0 C for five different times; 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 minutes. The yields of 98.4, 99.0, 98.3, 98.1 and 100.0% respectively were achieved with catalyst loading of 1.5%w/w of oil and 5.5:1 methanol to oil ratio. The catalyst was separated out by filtration. With short reaction time and low temperature, clean biodiesel can be produced with relatively little equipment.

Biodiesel is a renewable diesel produced from animal fats and plant oils by transesterification r... more Biodiesel is a renewable diesel produced from animal fats and plant oils by transesterification reaction. It consists of fatty acid alkyl esters most typically fatty acid methyl esters. Economic evaluation of a pilot plant for a continuous heterogeneous catalytic process of production of biodiesel was evaluated. The plant produces biodiesel from Jatrophacurcas oil and methanol using bulk solid calcium oxide at 60 0 C reaction temperature and a pressure of 1 atm. A production capacity was set up at 11 550 litres of biodiesel and 3 840 litres of glycerol per annually. The estimated total fixed capital cost and total manufacturing cost were N1 600 000 and N8458163.68 which yield a net profit of N2911185.20. The process included the sales of the glycerol co-product of biodiesel into commercial glycerol market which increases the income generated. The plant depreciation was estimated to be N112 000. The return on investment, internal rate of return, payback period and net present value w...

Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable and environmental benign liquid fuel capable of replacing... more Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable and environmental benign liquid fuel capable of replacing fossil diesel. A study on comparison of biodiesel processing raw materials was carried out with palm oil and Jatrophacurcasoilusing calcium oxide catalyst to determine which should be relied upon for biodiesel production. At 600C and 90 minutes of reaction time, the yields of 86.41 % and 99.08 % for palm oil and Jatrophacurcas oil were obtained respectively. The results obtained at650C and 75 minutes were 89.41 % and 96.93 % for palm oil and Jatrophacarcass oil respectively.For all the reactions the mole ratio of methanol to oil was 5.5:1 and the quantity of catalyst used was 1.5 % w/w of oil. The methyl ester contents were analyzed with GC-MS.Jatrophacurcasseed oil gave higher yield but it highly acidic which require more energy, time and materials to refine.

Heterogeneous catalyst of transesterification is gaining more support because of the friendly nat... more Heterogeneous catalyst of transesterification is gaining more support because of the friendly nature of the catalysts, easy separation from the products, their reusability and less process water require. This paper present the efficacy of some of the common solid catalysts for biodiesel production. Many researchers have developed different solid base/acid catalysts for transesterification of vegetable oil in order to replace the conventional homogeneous catalysts that have a lot of limitations. The performances of some of these heterogeneous catalysts with appropriate vegetable oils are reviewed in this paper. K/KOH/ϒ.Al2O3 has yielded 84.5% biodiesel from rapeseed oil, X/Y/MgO/ϒ. Al2O3 yielded 96.1% biodiesel from jatropha curcas oil, SO4/TiO2.nH2O and SO4/Zr(OH)2 yielded 90% biodiesel from cotton seed oil. CaO, SrO, Ca(OCH3)2 and Ca(OCH2CH3)2 yielded 95% biodiesel from soybean oil. ZnO,

Scientists are looking far and wide for the raw material that will yield a new generation of adva... more Scientists are looking far and wide for the raw material that will yield a new generation of advance biofuel, a source that does not divert food into energy, and is abundant enough to make a significant change in the oil market. In this paper, the process of refining the raw Jatropha curcas oil before transesterification was investigated. The study of its oil yield was also investigated with values of 17.43, 11.87% and 10.05% from different sources. The financial viability of Jatropha curcas seed oil for biodiesel production was evaluated and it revealed that the process consume much time and energy. This investigation revealed that, the use of Jatropha curcas oil for biodiesel production is not financially viable in Nigeria as at now. It was also found that the longer the oil is kept the more it deteriorates.

International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 2015

This investigation was necessitated to find other feedstocks for biodiesel production that would ... more This investigation was necessitated to find other feedstocks for biodiesel production that would not compete with food. Kapok oil with 0.8 FFA was transesterified with methanol using a heterogeneous catalyst, CaO to determine its potential for biodiesel production. Methyl esters yields of 70.4, 65.6, 78.2, 71.9 and 72.5% were obtained with catalyst loading of 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.4% (wt. of oil). The products had high compositions of FFA and alcohols which indicates that the oil require more esterification to reduce the feedstock FFA far below 0.8. Some unsaturated hydrocarbons such as alkenes and alkynes were also formed which could make the products unstable.

The depletion of fossil fuel, increase in the world population and environmental hazard associate... more The depletion of fossil fuel, increase in the world population and environmental hazard associated with fossil fuel have rechanneled the world’s interest toward finding a new alternative source of energy that is renewable and sustainable. Forest resources such as biomass wastes can serve as an alternative source of energy due to their availability, renewability, sustainability, biodegradability and environmentally friendly. Reuse of solid wastes by converting them to something useful will better the live of the communities they are generated. In this investigation, Gmelina arborea dead leaves were collected, pulverized, sieved and hydrolyzed with Calcium oxide catalyst and distilled water. The product was filtered, dried with magnesium sulphate and then analyzed with GC-MS. The results of the analysis contained 77.64 g (54.59 %) biodiesel, 25.75 g (18.14 %) furfural and its derivatives, 15.18 g (10.69 %) free fatty acids, 11.49 g (8.03 %) benzene derivatives and 11.996 g (8.45 %) ot...

Transesterification of Jatropha curcas seed oil with methanol using super base calcium oxide (CaO... more Transesterification of Jatropha curcas seed oil with methanol using super base calcium oxide (CaO/ (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 ) catalysts were investigated. Non-supported and alumina supported Super base calcium oxide (CaO/ (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 ) catalysts were synthesized and used to transesterify Jatropha curcas oil with methanol. The effects of reaction time on yields of biodiesel, glycerol and impurities were investigated by using these catalysts. The reactions were carried out with 0.4 % (w/w of oil) catalyst loading, temperature of 60 0 C and mole ratio of 3:1 methanol to oil and reaction times of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min. The results of this investigation revealed that, alumina supported super base calcium oxide catalyst had better performance and also had clearer filtrate of biodiesel products than that of unsupported one. It also produced high quality biodiesel. Keywords: Energy saving, time saving, materials saving, catalytic action, biodiesel yield

A fluidized-bed reactor was designed and constructed for practical demonstration of the fluidizat... more A fluidized-bed reactor was designed and constructed for practical demonstration of the fluidization of solid particles at different fluid flow rates. The bed of this reactor was sand particles of average size 1800 μm ,weighed 0.6 N and the fluidizing fluidwas air. Alternatively, the fluidizing fluid can be substituted for any given gas by connecting the desired gas cylinder to the blower. The height of the bed was 25 mm on a mesh of 1230 μm. An air blower was designed to supply air from the room to fluidize the bed.The shaftand discharge powers of the blower were18.8kW and its efficiency was 70%. The minimum and maximum operating pressures were 0.1133 and 24.5262 mH2O and their corresponding velocities were 0.64 and 245.86 m/s respectively.This project was found suitable for undergraduates of Chemical Engineering and related studies for improved knowledge and practical skill required for effective and optimal performance in meeting industrial needs towards improved service delivery.

A Ph.D THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN ... more A Ph.D THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF A DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA NIGERIA

Chemical Science International Journal, 2018

Chemical Science International Journal, 2017

An investigation was carried on the chemical constituents of Gmelina arborea leaves by hydrolyzin... more An investigation was carried on the chemical constituents of Gmelina arborea leaves by hydrolyzing the pulverized dry leaves with 3% sulphuric acid solution at 100°C for 30 minutes. The extract on analysis with GCMS yielded 31 compounds.

Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 2017

American Chemical Science Journal, 2016

The transesterification process breaks down triglycerides into alkanoates and glycerol back bones... more The transesterification process breaks down triglycerides into alkanoates and glycerol back bones which in turn react with alcohol in the presences of suitable catalyst to produce monoalkyl esters and glycerin. During the transesterification reaction, the glycerol backbone of triglyceride is substituted by alkyl group from alcohol forming fatty acid alkyl esters and glycerol as the major liquid products. A study was carried out to determine the possibility of producing biodiesel by transesterification reaction without the co-product, glycerol. Transesterification reactions were performed at 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65°C for 50, 60, 70, and 80 minutes. The feed stocks were Jatropha curcas seed oil, methanol in the molar ratio of 3:1 (methanol: oil) and 0.4% bulk calcium oxide (CaO) catalyst. Each product was analyzed with GC-MS to determine the methyl esters and glycerol content. Only two products at 65°C had glycerol of 2.228 and 0.21%. The average methyl ester contents were 96.72, 96.23, 97.36 and 79.80% at 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65°C respectively.

American Chemical Science Journal, 2016

Biodiesel has gained support and recognition as a fuel to replace and blending agent with fossil ... more Biodiesel has gained support and recognition as a fuel to replace and blending agent with fossil diesel. In search of non-edible seed oil feedstock that can be used for biodiesel production, an investigation was carried out with calabash seed oil. This is the type of calabash used by Arugungun fishers and Fulani women fresh cow milk hawkers. The seed yielded 39.3% oil by mechanical press. The oil was transesterified with methanol using heterogeneous catalyst (magnesium oxide supported by alumina) with catalyst loading of 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4% (w/w of oil) at 60ºC for 60 minutes. The products had esters content of 90.43, 77.92, 93.64, 96.00 and 83.48% respectively. The viscosity falls between 5.0 and 5.7 mm 2 /s which is within ASTM and EN standards. The biodiesel yield of 61.8, 62.3, 69.7, 69.5 and 78.1% were also recorded. This oil can be a potential for biodiesel production.

Silk cotton tree was macerated and the properties of its pulp were evaluated. Sample sheets of pa... more Silk cotton tree was macerated and the properties of its pulp were evaluated. Sample sheets of paper were produced using hand sheet method and were duly tested for tearing resistance, tensile strength and burst strength. The pulp has fairly long fibre length of 1.674mm. Its papers posses high tearing resistance of 956.48mN and tear factor of 162.50m 2 but low tensile strength of 9.20Nm/g and burst strength 42.50kPa. Therefore its paper products can be used for writing and printing applications.

Nigerian Journal of Technological Research

Recent Advances in Petrochemical Science

In looking for solution to the problems associated with the use of homogeneous catalysts, locally... more In looking for solution to the problems associated with the use of homogeneous catalysts, locally produced hydrated lime was mixed 50:50 with magnesium oxide to incipient, dried and calcined at 760 0 C for 30 minutes. Five runs of transesterification reactions were carried out using this synthesized catalyst (CaO/MgO) with jatropha curcas seed oil and methanol at 60 0 C for five different times; 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 minutes. The yields of 98.4, 99.0, 98.3, 98.1 and 100.0% respectively were achieved with catalyst loading of 1.5%w/w of oil and 5.5:1 methanol to oil ratio. The catalyst was separated out by filtration. With short reaction time and low temperature, clean biodiesel can be produced with relatively little equipment.