Biodiesel Synthesis from Waste Vegetable Oil Utilizing Eggshell Ash as an Innovative Heterogenous Catalyst

Abstract

The objective of this research is to explore the production of biodiesel using Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) as the primary feedstock and calcined eggshell ash as an environmentally sustainable catalyst. The WVO, characterized by a Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content of 2.86%, serves as the primary feedstock for biodiesel production through transesterification. The eggshell ash undergoes a rigorous process, including washing with distilled water to remove impurities, drying at 100ºC for 24 hours, crushing into fine particles, and final calcination in a muffle furnace at 900ºC. Process optimization is achieved by varying key reaction parameters, including temperature, catalyst loading, and the methanol-oil molar ratio. The optimal conditions are identified at 65°C, utilizing a methanol-oil molar ratio of 6:1 and a 5wt% catalyst loading. Under these optimized reaction conditions, a substantial biodiesel yield of 91.3% is obtained. The produced biodiesel meets the stringent quality requirements specified by the American Standard (ASTM D 6751) and European Standard (EN 14214) for biodiesel fuel, ensuring its suitability for various applications. This study demonstrates the potential of utilizing calcined eggshell ash as an eco-friendly catalyst for sustainable biodiesel production from WVO.