Kinetic study of biodiesel using egg shell for base transesterification reaction

Abstract

The accumulative oil demands have produced a renewed interest in alternative fuels of biological origin. Alternative fuels, such as biodiesel has been focused unanimously because of current energy crisis. In this study, kinetics of heterogeneous transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) with prepared CaO-800 from the calcination of egg shell was discovered. Firstly, the egg shells were calcined at temperature of 800°C and 900°C. Then the catalysts were characterized using Thermal Gravimetry Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR), Nitrogen Adsorption Analysis, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD). The soluble basicity and the basic strength of the prepared catalysts were determined using back titration. The results showed that calcined egg shell at 800 °C was the most suitable catalyst to use in the biodiesel producton as it had high basicity and high surface area compared to calcined egg shell at 900 °C. The product biodiesel prepared was then analyzed using Gas Chromatography- Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). The kinetic studies for the reaction was carried out at reaction time of 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 mins at temperature 45°C, 55°C, 65°C, 75°C and 85°C temperature respectively. The results showed that the reaction follows the zero order reaction, has the rate constant of 0.13 s^-1 and the activation energy is 23.2 kJ/mol.