Biodiesel production from waste oils through transesterification method by animal bone catalysts

A series of heterogeneous catalysts was synthesized and tested in transesterification reaction in order to produce methyl esters called biodiesel . The sunflower oil and methanol were used for this research and calcinated fish bone is used as a heterogeneous catalyst. The novelty of our research is type of support because fish bone is waste material in Iran. Also Iran has a many waste fish bones that are unusable. Fish bones are calcinated at 700,800,900 and 1000 C for 3 hours and then characterized by the XRD, BET. The best temperature was 1000 C. also Li as active sites was impregnated on support. The best synthesized catalyst was 5% Li on calcinated fish bone at 1000C. Under optimum reaction conditions of methanol/oil molar ration of 20:1, 10 wt% catalyst at 65 C , 91% conversion was obtained in 2.5 h of reaction duration with rpm 250.

Keywords:

fish bone , transesterification , biodiesel , heterogeneous.