title: Biodiesel production from palm oil using calcined waste animal bone as catalyst.
abstract: Waste animal bones was employed as a cost effective catalyst for the transesterification of palm oil. The catalyst was calcined at different temperatures to transform the calcium phosphate in the bones to hydroxyapatite and 800 °C was found to give the best yield of biodiesel. The catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR). Under the optimal reaction conditions of 20 wt.% of catalyst, 1:18 oil to methanol molar ratio, 200 rpm of stirring of reactants and at a temperature of 65 °C, the methyl ester conversion was 96.78% and it was achieved in 4h. The catalyst performed equally well as the laboratory-grade CaO. Animal bone is therefore a useful raw material for the production of a cheap catalyst for transesterification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Karunya University, Coimbatore 641114, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: Asir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obadiah
authors.forename: Gnanadurai Ajji
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Swaroopa
authors.forename: Samuel Vasanth
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Kenthorai Raman
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Jeganathan
authors.forename: Alagunambi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramasubbu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D004951:Esterification; D000432:Methanol / Q000032:analysis; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D059027:Recycling; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D010938:Plant Oils; D014866:Waste Products; D000073878:Palm Oil; D000432:Methanol