Journal Article

A study on production of biodiesel using a novel solid oxide catalyst derived from waste

Majhi, Samrat, Ray, Srimanta

2016

Overview

The issues of energy security, dwindling supply and inflating price of fossil fuel have shifted the global focus towards fuel of renewable origin. Biodiesel, having renewable origin, has exhibited great potential as substitute for fossil fuels. The most common route of biodiesel production is through transesterification of vegetable oil in presence of homogeneous acid or base or solid oxide catalyst. But, the economics of biodiesel is not competitive with respect to fossil fuel due to high cost of production. The vegetable oil waste is a potential alternative for biodiesel production, particularly when disposal of used vegetable oil has been restricted in several countries. The present study evaluates the efficacy of a low-cost solid oxide catalyst derived from eggshell (a food waste) in transesterification of vegetable oil and simulated waste vegetable oil (SWVO). The impact of thermal treatment of vegetable oil (to simulate frying operation) on transesterification using eggshell-derived solid oxide catalyst (ESSO catalyst) was also evaluated along with the effect of varying reaction parameters. The study reported that around 90 % biodiesel yield was obtained with vegetable oil at methanol/oil molar ratio of 18:1 in 3 h reaction time using 10 % ESSO catalyst. The biodiesel produced with ESSO catalyst from SWVO, thermally treated at 150 °C for 24 h, was found to conform with the biodiesel standard, but the yield was 5 % lower compared to that of the untreated oil. The utilization of waste vegetable oil along with waste eggshell as catalyst is significant for improving the overall economics of the biodiesel in the current market. The utilization of waste for societal benefit with the essence of sustainable development is the novelty of this work.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Aquatic Pollution / Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution / biodiesel / Biodiesel fuels / Biofuels / Carbon / Catalysis / Catalysts / Cooking / Diesel / Dietary restrictions / Earth and Environmental Science / Economics / Ecotoxicology / egg shell / Egg shells / Energy / Energy security / Environment / Environmental Chemistry / Environmental Health / Fatty acids / Food / Food waste / Fossil fuels / frying / fuel production / Glycine max - chemistry / Glycine max - metabolism / heat treatment / markets / Medical Waste Disposal / Methanol / Oil wastes / Oils & fats / Oxides - chemistry / Oxides - metabolism / Plant Oils - chemistry / Plant Oils - metabolism / Pollution Control Technologies and Alternate Energy Options / prices / Production costs / Raw materials / Soybeans / Studies / Sustainability / Sustainable development / transesterification / Triglycerides / vegetable oil / Vegetable oils / Vegetables / Waste materials / waste utilization / Waste Water Technology / Water Management / Water Pollution Control