The present work describes the esterification of Moringa oleifera oil (MOO) using ultrasound treatment at a frequency of 60 kHz. The influence of process parameters of esterification such as methanol to oil ratio, catalyst concentration and reaction time on acid value reduction have been analyzed by central composite design (CCD) of Response surface methodology (RSM). ANOVA table indicate the significance of methanol to oil ratio and interaction between catalyst concentration and ultrasonication time. Using Numerical optimization tool, the acid value is reduced to 3mg KOH/g of oil using 2 vol% conc. H₂SO₄, 0.4:1 volumetric ratio of methanol to oil in 60 min at 60°C. Meanwhile, the conversion of free fatty acid (FFA) into methyl ester is further confirmed with the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis.

中文翻译：

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辣木油的超声辅助酯化反应及其中心复合设计优化

目前的工作描述了使用频率为 60 kHz 的超声波处理辣木油 (MOO)的酯化。采用响应面法(RSM)的中心复合设计(CCD)分析了酯化反应工艺参数如甲醇油比、催化剂浓度和反应时间对酸值降低的影响。方差分析表表明甲醇油比的重要性以及催化剂浓度和超声波处理时间之间的相互作用。使用数值优化工具，使用 2 vol% 浓度将酸值降至 3mg KOH/g 油。H ₂ SO ₄, 0.4:1 体积比的甲醇与油在 60°C 下加热 60 分钟。同时，通过傅立叶变换红外光谱 (FTIR) 分析进一步证实了游离脂肪酸 (FFA) 向甲酯的转化。