Novel Transition Metal Loaded Catalyst from Waste Biomass for Optimized Biodiesel Production /

Abstract

The decarbonization of transportation plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change, and biodiesel has emerged as a promising solution due to its renewable and eco friendly nature. However, to maintain the momentum of the "green trend" and ensure energy security an ecologically friendly pathway is important to produce efficient biodiesel. In this work, activated carbon (AC) obtained from rice husk (RH) is hydrothermally prepared and modified through cobalt transition metal for catalyst support for the transesterification process. Various characterization techniques like Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) were utilized to analyze the created samples, and Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy (GC MS) was utilized for analysis synthesized biodiesel. To optimize the transesterification process, Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) is produced by the conversion of waste cooking oil. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to validate temperature (75 °C), the methanol-to-oil molar ratio (1:9), catalyst weight percentage (2 wt.%), and retention time (52.3 min). The highest conversion rate of waste cooking oil (WCO) to biodiesel was recorded at 96.3% and tested as per American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Based on the results, it was clear that cobalt-loaded Rice husk-based green catalyst enhanced catalytic activity and yield for biodiesel production at the industrial scale.