Utilization of cacao peel waste to K2O heterogeneous catalyst in biodiesel synthesis by waste cooking oil: effect of catalyst calcination temperature

Abstract

Calcination is one way to take advantage of K2O content of cocoa pods husks potential as a catalyst in the production of biodiesel. The purpose of this research is the utilization of waste pod husks as heterogeneous catalysts in the manufacture of biodiesel from waste cooking oil. The catalyst preparation procedure of the cocoa shell ash is waste cocoa husk first cleaned by washing, so free from impurities such as mud and other substances. The peel then cut into small pieces and dried in the sun for two weeks to reduce the water content of the cocoa peel and smoothed by using ballmill. In this study, an analysis that is proximate analysis such as the water content of the sample and the catalyst, volatile matter, ash content, yield of ash, fixed carbon, pH and also do analysis of the pore structure of the catalyst by using analysis of SEM-EDS analysis and potassium (K2O) with AAS analysis. The best conditions are obtained the purity of 99.58% with a methyl ester methyl ester yield of 92.68% with a mole ratio of alcohol and the use of used cooking oil 12: 1, a reaction temperature of 65 °C, the amount of catalyst is 6% (w / w) which are calcined at a temperature of 650 °C and reaction time of 180 minutes. The results of the present study indicate that the use of cocoa peel and used cooking oil is a catalyst and cheap raw materials suitable in the manufacture of biodiesel.