Study of calcined eggshell as potential catalyst for biodiesel formation using used cooking oil

Eggshell was utilized as a cost effective catalyst that aided in biodiesel formation. Eggshell was calcined at different calcination conditions such as in term of temperatures and durations. The cost effective calcination conditions to achieve the calcium carbonate to be completely converted into calcium oxide was open air calcination under 1000°C. The calcined eggshell catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). After that, the eggshell derived CaO catalyst was subjected into transesterification of used cooking oil (UCO). The parametrics in transesterification of used cooking oil such as methanol to oil ratio, weight of catalyst and reaction temperature were evaluated. The optimum result exhibited 4:1 methanol to oil ratio, 2wt % catalyst, and 65 °C reaction temperatures in 2 hours. Pure calcined CaO acted as control of the experimental was subjected into the most optimum eggshell derived
catalyst transesterification condition. The catalytic activity for both pure calcined CaO and calcined eggshell derived catalyst were comparable. The biodiesel formation was identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS).