Valorization of waste cooking oil, plantain peel and snail shell for the optimization of biodiesel production

Abstract

Biodiesel is a viable alternative to non-renewable fossil fuels. However, its commercialization faces challenges due to the high costs of conventional feedstocks. This study investigated the influence of reaction parameters-catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time-on the yield of synthesized biodiesel from waste cooking oil using snail shell and plantain peel wastes as catalysts. Snail shells were calcined at 800 °C to produce CaO and characterized by X-ray fluorescence. Organic KOH, extracted from plantain peel ash burned at 750 °C, impregnated the CaO to form a composite KOH/CaO catalyst. Using low-quality feedstock (acid value of 8.8 mg KOH/g oil), the oil underwent acid-esterification followed by transesterification under varied conditions. The optimal parameters, determined via response surface methodology (RSM), were 7% wt/wt catalyst concentration, 60.51 °C reaction temperature, and 1.93 h reaction time, achieving a maximum biodiesel yield of 92.23%. The best experimental yield, 92.10%, was obtained using a 2:1 green KOH/CaO ratio. Physicochemical properties and biodiesel composition conformed to ASTM D6751 standards. The highest fatty acid to methyl ester conversion rate, 93.86%, was achieved using the optimized snail shell catalyst. This research demonstrates that converting waste into biodiesel is not only feasible but also adds value to waste materials.

Keywords

biodiesel / heterogeneous catalysts / snail shell / plantain peel / waste cooking oil

References

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