Production and Economic Evaluation of Biobased Detergent from Waste Cooking Oil

Jabosar Ronggur Hamonangan Panjaitan, Della Yosia Situmorang, Eykhel Sykhles Tarigan

Abstract

Waste cooking oil is an abundant food waste resource. Converting waste cooking oil into high-value products, such as methyl ester sulfonate (MES) surfactants, is one approach to improving its economic value. MES can be used as a bio-based detergent due to its biodegradability compared to synthetic surfactants. This study investigated the production of a biobased detergent derived from MES surfactant using waste cooking oil as the raw material. MES was produced through two stages: transesterification of waste cooking oil to produce methyl esters, followed by sulfonation of the methyl esters to produce MES. Additional supporting materials were then incorporated into the MES to formulate the biobased detergent. The results showed that the MES-based detergent had a pH range of 10–12. A formulation consisting of 20 g of MES and 15 g of sodium silicate was identified as the optimal composition, as it provided good oil emulsification and foam stability. An economic analysis indicated that producing biobased detergent within a biorefinery framework—where waste cooking oil is processed into both biodiesel and MES as co-products—is more profitable than producing biobased detergent alone. The standalone production of bio-based detergent was not economically viable, yielding a negative net present value (NPV) of 65,060,382 USD. In contrast, the biorefinery approach, with a processing capacity of 4,000 kg of waste cooking oil per hour, achieved a return on investment (ROI) of 58.72%, a payback period (PBP) of 1.24 years, a net present value (NPV) of 37,386,064 USD, and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 59.67%.

Keywords

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