Comparison of Ultrasonication and Conventional Heating Methods for Biodiesel Production Using Calcium Oxide Catalysts Obtained from Calcined Shells of Eggs, Oyster, and Mussels

There is an increasing demand for alternative fuels that are environmentally friendly because petroleum-based fuels contribute to the net production of carbon dioxide that has been attributed to the global warming trend. Besides, petroleum is considered a non-renewable resource that cannot be easily replenished like the agricultural crops for producing the biomass-derived fuels like biodiesel. In this study, biodiesel will be produced using both ultrasonic-assisted transesterification reaction using shell-derived calcium oxide catalyst as well as conventional heating of the reaction between soya bean oil and methanol in the presence of sodium hydroxide catalyst. The ultrasonication approach has been shown to produce high yield biodiesel esters in reaction time as short as 5-10 minutes. The efficiency of both methods will be compared in terms of their production cost, reaction yields, product selectivity, catalyst durability, and environmental factors. The emission profile of biodiesel blended with petroleum-based diesel and different oxygenated additiveswill be analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The extent of the reduction in the emissions of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter will be compared. The cold flow properties and fuel stability for the different diesel fuels blended with biodiesel and other biomass-derived fuel additives will also be evaluated. The synergistic performance of specific combinations of fuel additives and biodiesel blendstock will be emphasized.