BIODIESEL SYNTHESIS FROM WASTE COOKING OIL USING CATALYST DERIVED FROM SEA CRAB SHELL AND NICKEL OXIDE

Abstract

As global energy demand increases and fossil fuel reserves decrease, alternative energy sources are becoming important. Biodiesel, derived from renewable sources, is a promising alternative to conventional diesel due to its environmental benefits. This paper investigates the synthesis and application of a NiO/CaO catalyst derived from sea-crab shells for biodiesel production. Waste cooking oil (WCO) was used as feedstock for the transesterification process. The catalyst was synthesized via a wet impregnation method and then characterized using SEM, XRD, FT-IR, and TG-DSC techniques. The transesterification reaction was optimized to achieve a maximum biodiesel yield of 90.29%. The optimal condition is 68 °C, a methanol/oil molar ratio of 24:1, a catalyst loading of 10 wt%, and the reaction time of 3 hours. The results demonstrate that NiO/CaO is an efficient catalyst in converting WCO to biodiesel, hence providing an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution.