Calcined Biowaste Durian Peel as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for Room-Temperature Biodiesel Production Using a...

Area of Science:

• Green Chemistry and Sustainable Energy
• Catalysis and Reaction Engineering
• Biomass Conversion and Waste Valorization

Background:

• Biodiesel production is crucial for renewable energy, but often requires high temperatures and expensive catalysts.
• Valorization of agricultural waste, such as durian peel, offers a sustainable source for catalytic materials.
• Potassium compounds are known effective catalysts for transesterification reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of calcined biowaste durian peel (BDP) as a catalyst for palm oil transesterification.
• To optimize reaction conditions for maximizing biodiesel conversion and yield using BDP.
• To evaluate the reusability and stability of the BDP catalyst.

Main Methods:

• Calcination of durian peel to produce a potassium-rich catalyst.
• Transesterification of palm oil with methanol using BDP catalyst under varying conditions (catalyst weight, molar ratio, reaction time, rotational speed).
• Analysis of biodiesel conversion and yield using established analytical techniques.
• Assessment of catalyst reusability through multiple reaction cycles.

Main Results:

• Calcined BDP, containing 86% potassium, successfully catalyzed palm oil transesterification at room temperature.
• Optimal conditions yielded a high biodiesel conversion of 97.4 ± 0.3% with catalyst weight of 5 wt%, palm oil to methanol ratio of 1:15, reaction time of 10 min, and 6000 rpm.
• The catalyst exhibited poor reusability, with conversion decreasing in the second cycle due to catalyst weight and potassium ion concentration loss.

Conclusions:

• Calcined durian peel is a promising, low-cost, and sustainable catalyst for efficient biodiesel production from palm oil at ambient temperature.
• The use of a homogenizer device significantly enhances reaction rates, enabling short reaction times.
• Further research is needed to improve the stability and reusability of the BDP catalyst for industrial application.