Production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil and factors affecting its formation: A review

Growing concern regarding energy resources and the environment has increased interest in the study of alternative sources of energy. To meet increasing energy requirements, there has been growing interest in alternative fuels like biodiesel to provide a suitable diesel oil substitute for internal combustion engines. Biodiesels offer a very promising alternative to diesel oil since they are renewable and have similar properties. It is a promising substitute as an alternative fuel and has gained significant attention due to the predicted shortness of conventional fuels and environmental concern. The utilization of liquid fuels such as biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil by transesterification process represents one of the most promising options for the use of conventional fossil fuels. However, as the biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils and animal fats, there are concerns that biodiesel feedstock may compete with food supply in the long-term. Hence, the recent focus rely on using waste cooking oil as the substantial feed stocks for biodiesel production.