Preparation and Characterization of Shell-Based CaO Catalysts for Ultrasonication-Assisted Production of Biodiesel to Reduce Toxicants in Diesel Generator Emissions

Ngee S. Chong (), Ifeanyi Nwobodo, Madison Strait, Dakota Cook, Saidi Abdulramoni and Beng G. Ooi ()
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Ngee S. Chong: Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA
Ifeanyi Nwobodo: Jacam Catalyst, Gardendale, TX 79758, USA
Madison Strait: Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Dakota Cook: Department of Food, Nutrition and Culinary Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Saidi Abdulramoni: Catalent Pharma Solutions, Bloomington, IN 08873, USA
Beng G. Ooi: Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 14, 1-20

Abstract: The environmentally sustainable production of biodiesel is important for providing both a renewable alternative transportation fuel as well as a fuel for power generation using diesel engines. This research evaluates the use of inexpensive catalysts derived from waste materials for converting triglycerides in seed oils into biodiesel composed of fatty acid methyl esters. The performance of CaO catalysts derived from the shells of oysters, mussels, lobsters, and chicken eggs was investigated. The shell-derived powders were calcined with and without the addition of zinc nitrate at 700–1000 °C for 4 h to yield CaO whereas the CaO-ZnO mixed catalyst were prepared by wet impregnation followed by calcination at 700 °C. The catalysts were characterized by XRF, XRD, TGA, SEM, FTIR and GC-MS. The CaO-ZnO catalysts showed slightly better conversion efficiency compared to CaO catalysts for the transesterification of canola oil. The mixed CaO-ZnO catalysts derived mainly from oyster shells showed the highest catalytic activity with >90% biodiesel yield at a 9:1 methanol-to-oil mole ratio within 10 min of ultrasonication. The reduction of toxicant emission from the generator is 43% and 60% for SO 2 , 11% and 26% for CO, were observed for the biodiesel blending levels of B20 and B40, respectively.

Keywords: biodiesel production; ultrasonication-assisted synthesis; transesterification catalysts; shell-derived CaO and CaO/ZnO; calcination of oyster, mussel, lobster, and egg shells; B20 and B40 biodiesel emission profiles; CO and SO 2 emission; generator emissions of toxicants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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