TY - JOUR AB - This work investigated the potential of shea butter oil (SBO) as feedstock for synthesis of biodiesel. Due to high free fatty acid (FFA) of SBO used, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to model and optimize the pretreatment step while its conversion to biodiesel was modeled and optimized using RSM and artificial neural network (ANN). The acid value of the SBO was reduced to 1.19 mg KOH/g with oil/ methanol molar ratio of 3.3, H2SO4 of 0.15 v/v, time of 60 min and temperature of 45 degrees C. Optimum values predicted for the transesterification reaction by RSM were temperature of 90 degrees C, KOH of 0.6 w/v, oil/ methanol molar ratio of 3.5, and time of 30 mm with actual shea butter oil biodiesel (SBOB) yield of 99.65% (w/w). ANN combined with generic algorithm gave the optimal condition as temperature of 82 degrees C, KOH of 0.40 w/v, oil/methanol molar ratio of 2.62 and time of 30 min with actual SBOB yield of 99.94% (w/w). Coefficient of determination (R-2) and absolute average deviation (AAD) of the models were 0.9923, 0.83% (RSM) and 0.9991, 0.15% (ANN), which demonstrated that ANN model was more efficient than RSM model. Properties of SBOB produced were within biodiesel standard specifications. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. AD - Obafemi Awolowo Univ, Dept Chem Engn, Biochem Engn Lab, Ife 220005, Osun State, Nigeria AN - WOS:000348955400045 AU - Betiku, E. AU - Okunsolawo, S. S. AU - Ajala, S. O. AU - Odedele, O. S. DA - Apr DO - 10.1016/j.renene.2014.11.049 J2 - Renew Energ KW - shea butter LA - English N1 - Ca5np PY - 2015 SN - 0960-1481 SP - 408-417 ST - Performance evaluation of artificial neural network coupled with generic algorithm and response surface methodology in modeling and optimization of biodiesel production process parameters from shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) nut butter T2 - Renewable Energy TI - Performance evaluation of artificial neural network coupled with generic algorithm and response surface methodology in modeling and optimization of biodiesel production process parameters from shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) nut butter UR - ://WOS:000348955400045 VL - 76 ID - 10997 ER -