Application of Solid Base Calcium Oxide as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Production of Biodiesel

Biodiesel is the monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids, derived from vegetable oils and animal fats. The biodiesel was produced from waste frying oil with methanol using Calcium Oxide catalyst by transesterification. The waste chicken egg shell was utilized as a bio resource of calcium oxide (CaO) in catalyzing a transesterification to produce biodiesel (methyl ester). The economic and environment"friend ly catalysts were prepared by a calcination method. The experimental results was found that the maximum yield of fatty acid methyl ester was 92% at the following reaction conditions: reaction temperature of 60°C, a reaction period of 4 h, a ratio of methanol to oil at 9:1, and amount of catalyst at 9% wt of oil. The heterogeneous base catalyst CaO can be successfully utilized for the production of Biodiesel.