Catalytic enhancement of calcium oxide from green mussel shell by potassium chloride impregnation for waste cooking oil-based biodiesel production

Abstract This work investigates the optimization of fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE, biodiesel) production from waste cooking oil (WCO) via the transesterification with ethanol (EtOH) under calcium oxide catalyst from green mussel shell impregnated with potassium chloride (KCl). The green mussel shell is calcined at 900°C for 5 hours, grounded into powder prior to immersion into KCl solution, and characterized by an attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FT-IR) spectrophotometer and X-ray diffraction (XRD) before using as a catalyst. The catalytic performances are evaluated via WCO-EtOH transesterification and optimized for production parameters. The maximum yield of FAEE is 97% w/w from the following optimum conditions: catalyst ratio of 4.0% w/w, EtOH-to-WCO molar ratio of 10:1 at 80°C in 3 hours. This work benefits on value-added raw materials, such as green mussel shell and WCO, which can be renewed for energy.