Production of Biodiesel from Soybean Oil

The necessity for clean, green, and renewable energy resources has gained tremendous attention from industries and academia. This is due to the alarming depletion of fossil fuels and the growing environmental concerns associated with their extensive use. Petroleum reserves are on the verge of extinction, and biodiesel is a promising alternative with better fuel properties compared to petroleum diesel. Various oils and fats have been employed as feedstock to produce biodiesel. Soybean oil is highly regarded as the most appealing feedstock due to its extensive cultivation for oil production as well as its widespread use as an animal meal. In previous years, various studies have been carried out to produce biodiesel with the use of various technologies and methods. Among the number of methods, transesterification is the most common method of biodiesel synthesis. This paper typically reviews the catalytic transesterification of soybean oil for biodiesel production and its fuel quality. This review also explores the effectiveness of various catalysts in converting soybean oil to biodiesel. Several reactors have been utilized by numerous researchers to optimize reaction parameters, which is also thoroughly highlighted in this review.