The Use of Animal Shells to Partially Substitute the Synthetic Catalysts for Biodiesel Production

Abstract

This article presents the performance of a metal oxide and its combinations with waste material, such as animal shells, for biodiesel production under mild process conditions. Optimum reaction conditions in terms of temperature, methanol-to-oil ratio, catalyst concentration, and combination of synthetic metal oxides and animal shells that render the highest biodiesel yield were determined. A metal oxide catalyst was evaluated for the transesterification of vegetable oil. This catalyst rendered high yields of biodiesel and rapid conversions. The experimental results also demonstrated that lobster shell successfully substituted 30 w/w% of the metal oxide portion when compared to the 100% metal oxide reaction. This animal shell is considered to be a promising catalyst substitute (30 wt%) for the synthetic metal oxide without affecting the reaction yield at mild reaction conditions.

Keywords:

• animal's shells
• biodiesel production
• catalysts formation
• natural catalysts
• synthetic catalysts