A review on the utilization of calcium oxide as a base catalyst in biodiesel production

Abstract Researchers and stakeholders alike have widely agreed that the biggest obstacle in producing biodiesel is the high cost of production. Due to this, much interest has been drawn in utilizing waste materials as catalysts to produce methyl esters (biodiesel) via transesterification. Thus, utilization of waste materials both as feedstock and catalyst is environmentally sustainable and bears economic, which reduces the cost of converting feedstock products into biodiesel. Application of heterogeneous catalyst is the most favored, primarily due to the ease of separation from the product. CaO has shown promising potential to be utilized as a base catalyst in the transesterification of feedstock. In this review paper, some beneficial information on the sources, preparation, and characterization of CaO are detailed. Enhancement of catalytic activity and durability through modification and the effect of type of feedstock on the production of biodiesel are presented as well.