Anthill Eggshell Fishbone Nickel-Cobalt Composite Catalyst for Biodiesel Synthesis from Castor Oil Feedstock

The high demand for diesel and the depleting fossil fuel reservoirs calls for alternative sources. Biodiesel from transesterification of non-edible oils is a promising substitute to fossil diesel but faces a challenge of a reliable catalyst. Conventional trans-esterification catalysts such as sodium hydroxide have shortcomings of waste-water generation, reusability, costly, and corrosion to equipment. The study focused on developing a heterogenous catalyst from anthill, eggshell, fishbone, and mixed oxides of Ni and Co abbreviated as AEF-NiCo. The catalyst was prepared by co-precipitation method, and characterized via X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and Fourier Transform Infrared. The efficiency of AEF-NiCo catalyst was evaluated in transesterification of castor oil with methanol at varying reaction temperature and catalyst load. Raw catalyst was found to contain higher levels of P2O5 and CaCO3. The catalyst was semi-crystalline and contained hydroxyl group in its structure. AEF-NiCo increased the mean percentage of castor oil biodiesel synthesized. The AEF-NiCo catalyst was optimal at 3 g load and at reaction temperature of 65 °C, 12:1 methanol to oil ratio, 2 h reaction time and 125 rpm stirring rate. AEF-NiCo catalyst is a viable substitute to NaOH catalyst in transesterification of oils.

Anthill Eggshell Fishbone Nickel-Cobalt Composite Catalyst for Biodiesel Synthesis from Castor Oil Feedstock Keywords:

Transesterification , Methyl Esters , Heterogeneous catalyst , Composite catalyst , Egg shell , Fish Bone