PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL FROM WASTE VEGETABLE OIL USING EGGSHELL BASED CATALYST
ABSTRACT
The production of biodiesel from waste vegetable oil using eggshell based catalyst was studied. Eggshell was investigated to utilize the composition of calcium carbonate as a heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production. The objective of the experiment is to utilize the calcium carbonate obtained from the calcination-hydration-dehydration method of the eggshell waste as solid catalyst for biodiesel production from waste vegetable oil by the variation of temperature, catalyst weight and reaction time. Catalyst form the waste raw eggshell was prepared by firstly, washing the eggshell to remove impurities, it was dried in hot air oven at 120 0C under static condition for 6hrs. Calcination was carried out at 900 0C for 3hr, after which it was washed, dried and recalcined at 600 0C for 3hr. Waste vegetable oil was filtered in order to remove impurities and food bits, after which qualitative analysis was carried out to determine the physiochemical properties such as viscosity, pH, free fatty acid and density. Transesterification reaction was performed by methanol to oil ratio of 6:1 and varying reaction temperature (60 °C, 65 °C, and 70 °C), reaction time (1hr, 2hr, and 3hr), catalyst weight (1%wt, 3%wt, 5%wt, 7%wt, 9%wt). The highest biodiesel yield was found to be 76.889% by using methanol oil ratio of 6:1, temperature of 60 0C reaction time for 2 hr.
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