A magnetized zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) impregnated with sodium hydroxide catalyst has been synthesized and tested as a new catalyst for biodiesel production. The new catalyst was investigated for the ethanolysis of vegetable oil to produce biodiesel. The operating conditions of the biodiesel production were optimized using the 2n design method followed by a reduced number of experimental runs. A 70% conversion of oil in the ethanolysis reaction was achieved using the new catalyst. The optimized operating conditions were found to be alcohol to oil molar ratio of 21:1, catalyst loading of 1% wt., a reaction time of 90 min, and temperature of 75 degrees C. Ethanolysis reaction was found to obey the pseudosecond-order kinetic model. In addition, the Arrhenius pre-exponential constant and activation energy were calculated to be 1.12 x 10(10) L mol(-1).min(1) and 77.27 kJ/mol, respectively. The physical properties of the product biodiesel matched the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) ranges. Additionally, the product biodiesel achieved a Cetane number of 75, which is 15% higher than the upper range of the ASTM. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.