Production of Biodiesel from a Novel Combination of Raphia Africana Kernel Oil and Turtle Shell (Centrochelys Sulcata) Heterogenous Catalyst

Abstract

This work investigated the viability of a non-edible oil obtained from raphia africana in the production of biodiesel using a novel heterogeneous catalyst derived from turtle shells (Centrochelys sulcata). The study also proposed the use of acetone as a co-solvent to enhance the solubility of the reacting mixtures. The turtle shells were calcined at 900° C for 3 hours, impregnated with KOH to improve their activity, and then supported with activated carbon produced from cassava peels to increase their surface area. The influences of KOH concentration, catalyst loading, catalyst/carbon mix ratio, and the concentration of acetone/methanol on the yield of biodiesel were investigated. The results obtained revealed that a maximum biodiesel yield of 93% was obtained from the bio-oil at a KOH concentration of 30% (w/w), catalyst loading of 6.5%, a solvent/methanol ratio of 0.4 and a catalyst/carbon weight ratio of 1.25. The activated carbon supported turtle shell catalyst has been found to possess very high catalytic activity, converting bio-oil with a high saturated fatty acid content to biodiesel with excellent fuel properties and a low saturated fatty acid profile.