Optimization Of Biodiesel Production From A Blend Of Used Cooking Oil And Jatropha Oil Using Solid Catalyst Synthesized From Natural Calcite

Abstract

An efficient and highly active catalyst for the production of biodiesel was developed by subjecting calcite rock sample to calcination for 4 hours at 900 ^oC. The characteristics of the catalyst were evaluated using various analytical techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The catalyst performance was evaluated through the transesterification of a blend of used cooking oil (UCO) and jatropha oil (50:50) to produce biodiesel in an optimization study using Box-Behnken design (BBD). The process conditions for the optimization study were reaction temperature, methanol: oil molar ratio, catalyst loading, and reaction time. The composition of calcite catalyst showed the presence of various oxides; CaO (65.276 %) was the main oxide present and this served as a basic oxide necessary for transesterification reaction to occur. Also present was 5.692 % of SiO₂ and 1.488 % of Al₂O₃ which is an amphoteric oxide. The catalyst performance for biodiesel production gave an optimum biodiesel yield of 80.12 % at optimal conditions of 2.95 wt% catalyst loading, 11.40:1 methanol: oil ratio, 49.88 ^oC reaction temperature, and a reaction time of 179.67 minutes. The GC-MS analysis, pour point, density, viscosity, flashpoint and cetane number of the produced biodiesel conformed to ASTM standards