DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL BIO-BASED BIFUNCTIONAL CATALYST FROM SHELLS OF ACHATINA FULICA AND UNRIPE PLANTAIN PEELS FOR BIODIESEL SYNTHESIS FROM NEEM SEED OIL.

ABSTRACT

The use of waste biological materials in the production of heterogeneous catalyst for the one-pot simultaneous esterification and trans esterification of fatty acids is an area that has not be sufficiently researched into. In this study therefore, Shells of Achatina fulica and unripe plantain peels were used to develop a novel bio-based bi-functional catalyst for one-pot biodiesel synthesis from neem Seed oil using Taguchi L16 matrix approach. A solid based bi-functional catalyst was synthesized from a mixture of unripe plantain peels that was carbonized at a temperature of about 300◦C thereafter sulphonated to form an acid precursor and Shells of Achatina Fulica that was calcined at a temperature of 900◦C for about 8 hours thereafter pretreated to form a base precursor, of which the two precursors were wet impregnated at a ratio of 3:2, dried in the oven to evaporate all the moisture content and finally calcined at a temperature of 600◦C for about 2 hours. The catalyst was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), coupled with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), BrunauerEmmett and Teller (BET) and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) analysis, and Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The catalyst was used in carrying out the One-Pot Biodiesel Synthesis from Neem Seed oil using Taguchi L16 matrix approach. The effect of some factors affecting trans esterification reaction was investigated in this experiment using the Taguchi L16 matrix approach The optimum conditions from the optimization were, Temperature 55◦C, speed 950 rpm, Time 120 min, Catalyst weight percentage 2 wt%, Methanol to Oil ratio 9:1. Also a reusability studies was carried out on the catalyst to test its efficiency and how many times it can be recycled before it becomes deactivated. The results obtained from the characterization gave BET surface area of 213.189 m2/g, the BJH adsorption surface area of the pore to be 265.257 m2/g and this is similar to what was investigated by others who did a similar experiment. The optimum conditions listed above gave a 95.05% biodiesel yield and FFA conversion of 93.63%. The results obtained from the reusability studies after the first run were 92.33 wt% biodiesel yield and 96.23% FFA conversion. After about 5 runs the biodiesel yield decreased to 67 wt% and the FFA conversion only experience a slight change from 96 to 94% respectively. The quality of biodiesel produced satisfied standard specifications and recommendations for biodiesel fuels, therefor unripe plantain peels and shells of Achatina fulica could be used as good precursor for development of bio-based bi-functional catalyst for biodiesel production.