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Valorization of Biogenic Calcium-Rich Wastes as a Composite CaO Catalyst for Optimized Palm Kernel Oil Biodiesel Synthesis

1Department of Chemical/Petroleum Engineering, College of Engineering, Igbinedion University, Okada, P.M.B. 0006, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

2Department of Chemistry, College of Applied Sciences and Computing, Igbinedion University, Okada, P.M.B. 0006, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

3Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P.M.B. 4000, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria

Received: 18 Aug 2026; Revised: 12 Sep 2026; Accepted: 14 Sep 2026; Available online: 17 Sep 2026; Published: 30 Jun 2027.
Editor(s): Istadi Istadi
Open Access Copyright (c) 2027 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Abstract

Biodiesel is a sustainable alternative to petroleum diesel, but developing efficient, low-cost, and environmentally friendly heterogeneous catalysts remains challenging. This study investigated biodiesel production from crude palm kernel oil using a composite calcium oxide catalyst derived from waste eggshells and snail shells. The catalyst was calcined at 900 °C for 3 h and characterized by XRD and FTIR, confirming predominantly crystalline CaO with minor Ca(OH)₂ and carbonate species. Response Surface Methodology using a Central Composite Design optimized reaction time, temperature, catalyst loading, and methanol-to-oil ratio. The quadratic model was significant (F = 60.25, p < 0.0001) and demonstrated high predictive capability (R² = 0.9825, Adjusted R² = 0.9662, Predicted R² = 0.9099). Optimum conditions of 82.5 min, 60 °C, 5.5 wt% catalyst, and 6:1 methanol-to-oil ratio yielded 91.273 wt% biodiesel. The composite catalyst outperformed calcined eggshell (87.0 wt%) and snail shell (85.5 wt%) catalysts under identical conditions. Biodiesel properties complied with ASTM specifications, with acid value of 0.431 mg KOH.g⁻¹, flash point of 129 °C, and dynamic viscosity of 4.53 mPa.s. The findings demonstrate the catalyst's potential for sustainable and low-cost biodiesel production while promoting agricultural waste valorization without the need for further catalyst modification. Copyright © 2027 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Keywords: Transesterification; Valorization; Calcium Oxide; CaO; Flash point; Biodiesel

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