Effect of Calcination Temperature on the Structural and Catalytic Efficiency of APSR-Derived CaO for Biodiesel Production

This study aimed to investigate the effect of varying the calcination temperature of calcium oxide (CaO) based biocatalysts for biodiesel production from low-cost feedstock (African Periwinkle Shell Residue, APSR). The synthesized APSR-derived biocatalyst was characterized through Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectra (FTIR). The catalytic performance was examined via catalyzed transesterification of soybean oil. The results indicate that the mass fraction of the main element (Calcium, Ca) present in the APSR, increased with temperature. Likewise, the morphological composition and percentage composition of crystalline phases (CaO, SiO2 and calcite) of the derived biocatalyst increased with the increase in calcination temperature. Catalytic testing showed that the biodegradation of triglycerides in soybean oil was able to aid the conversion of oleic acid to biodiesel. The results of this study suggest that the composition and efficiency of CaO are dependent on the calcination temperature.