A solid base catalyst Na2SiO3 was prepared by microwave heating. The catalyst was used to catalyze the transesterification reactions for the production of fatty acid methyl esters from cottonseed oil. The optimum conditions of the catalyst preparation and transesterification reactions were investigated by orthogonal experiments. The catalyst with the highest catalytic activity was obtained using microwave power of 640 W, microwave irradiation time of 6 min, catalyst particle size of 60 mesh. The catalyst was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron micrographs (SEM), and the results showed the catalyst Na2SiO3 has good microstructure. Under the transesterification conditions of methanol/oil molar ratio of 6:1, catalyst dosage of 5%, reaction temperature of 65 degrees C, reaction time of 100 min and stirring speed of 400 rpm, the yield of methyl esters was 97.6%. The lifetime of the solid base catalysts by different process methods (microwave heating and conventional electric heating) was no significant differences, but microwave heating may be more economical than conventional electric heating. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.