Biodiesel Production from Used Cooking Oil (UCO) using Kaolin Clay Catalyst: Effects of Calcination Temperature

In this study, the catalysts were prepared and categorized as KC-raw and calcined catalysts. These are: RKC, KC-600 and KC-900. They were used directly in trans-esterification reactions without further treatment to determining its performance in producing fatty-acid methyl esters (FAME). The Kaolin clay sample treated at calcination temperature of 600℃ (KC- 600) for 4hours with reaction temperature 120 o C; catalyst loading of 3.5 wt% and methanol / oil ratio of 9:1 gave the highest yield of 51.09%. The catalysts KC-raw; KC-300; KC 600 and KC 900 where characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy- dispensive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Branauer-emmett-teller (BET), thermographic analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Fourier transform infrared spectral (FT-IR). X-ray fluorescence spectral (XRF) was also used to detect chemical composition of the catalysts and to gain insight into the structural changes that occurred at different calcination temperature which in turn determine their performance in trans- esterification reaction.