Characterization, Application and Optimization of Low Cost Heterogeneous Catalyst in the Production of Biodiesel Using Waste Vegetable Frying Oil

The continuous hike in the price of diesel fuel and the environmental as well as health havoc caused by its utilization is answerable to the generation of a more sustainable alternative fuel. Therefore, in this research biodiesel is produced in the presence of H2SO4 wet-impregnated snail, egg and crab shell catalyst using waste vegetable frying oil (WVFO). The uncalcined egg, snail and crab shell catalysts were identified as CE, CS and CC respectively while CS800oC/H2SO4, CC900 oC/H2SO4, and CE900 oC/H2SO4 represents calcined/impregnated snail, crab and eggshell catalysts respectively. Each of the calcined/impregnated snail, crab and eggshells were reacted singly with the WVFO for the biodiesel production. The fatty acid composition was determined using GC-MS. For the characterization of the catalysts, both the calcined/impregnated and the uncalcined catalysts were characterized using SEM, BET, FTIR, XRF and XRD. The Taguchi Orthogonal array design was the pattern adopted in the transesterification reaction in this study were the optimal conditions were obtained and the fuel properties of all 27 samples of WVFO biodiesel products determined. The result revealed the presence of both saturated (C – H) and unsaturated fatty acids (C ╠O). Saturated fatty acids such as palmitic and stearic acids were obtained at percentage concentrations of 2.50 % and 7.16 % respectively. The highest biodiesel yield was obtained at optimal conditions of 1:6 oil to methanol ratio, 3 wt% catalyst loading, 60 OC reaction temperature and 90 min reaction time traced from WVFO-crab shell biodiesel product obtained using the E specification/reaction conditions (WCB). Results from the characterization of biodiesel products obtained from WVFO showed 79, 6.00 m2/s and 926 kg/m3 as maximum values of cetane number, kinematic viscosity and density traced from WSE, WCE and WCE respectively. The fuel properties analyzed for all 27 biodiesel samples produced showed that some values obtained were in conformation with the ASTM standard while others were not.