Production of Biodiesel and Minerals from Palm Kernel Oil Using Calcium Oxide Nano-Catalyst from Various Shells

Abstract

Biodiesel production from clean energy sources has significantly gotten attraction because of its prospective as a green and ecologically sound alternative to conventional fossil fuels. In this research, correlative manufacturing of biodiesel from palm kernel oil employing calcium-oxide-nano-catalyst from duck fowl, native fowl and snail egg shells were studied at temperature of 100O C in other to produce different yields of biodiesel. The experimental process involved trans-esterification of the extracted palm kernel oil using the prepared nano-catalysts obtained by grinding and heating of shells in a furnace at a temperature of 900 degree Celsius for three hours. The samples were characterized for X-ray diffraction analysis and X-ray fluorescence as well as Transmission electron microscopy. The procedure and results in the process exhibited different phase names such as silicon oxide, hanksite, chaoite etc. Essentially, the X ray diffraction analysis for native fowl/broiler/A1 eggshells showed a peak of 24.5 at 2Ѳ, with an intensity of 500 cps in the phase data view for mainly silicon oxide and hanksite while duck fowl eggshells/ A2 maintained an intensity of 600 cps at a peak of 23.415 at 2Ѳ for SiO2, M03 ·6 H2O, similarly A3/snail eggshells gave a peak of 23.863 at 2Ѳ with an intensity of 600 cp experimentation for A1, A2 and A3 produced various minerals, allotrope of carbon and nano graphite as well as other synthetic materials. From the results, it was discovered that the eggshells of native fowl/broiler and duck fowl contains the highest composition of Calcium oxide and silicon oxide whereas duck fowl eggshells moreover gave the highest yield of biodiesel.

Keywords — Esterification, calcium oxide, emission, fossil fuel, characterization, nano-catalyst