In this study, biodiesel,
also known as fatty acid methyl ester
(FAME), was synthesized from multi-stage frying waste soybean oil
using chicken eggshell-derived CaO and potassium-impregnated K
+
-CaO heterogeneous catalysts. Potassium-impregnated catalysts
(1.25% K
+
-CaO, 2.5% K
+
-CaO, and 5% K
+
-CaO) were developed by treating the calcined waste eggshell powder
with KOH in different wt % ratios. The catalysts were characterized
using FTIR, XRD, FESEM, EDS, BET, and particle size analysis techniques.
Box–Behnken design-based optimization was exploited to optimize
the reaction parameters. A maximum yield of 98.46%, calculated via
1
H NMR, was achieved following a 5% K
+
doping, 12:1
methanol to oil molar ratio, 3% catalyst amount, 180 min reaction
time, and 65 °C reaction temperature. The catalyst (5% K
+
-CaO) responsible for maximum biodiesel production was found
to be highly reusable, with a 30.42% conversion decrease in activity
after eight cycles of reuse. Gas chromatography was used to determine
the composition of FAME produced from different cycles of waste soybean
oil. Physicochemical parameters of the synthesized biodiesel were
found to be compatible with EN and ASTM standards. This study has
shown that the waste eggshell-derived heterogeneous catalysts have
significant catalytic activity at relatively low K
+
doping
and catalyst loading leading to high biodiesel conversion.
With an ever-increasing population and unpredictable
climate changes,
meeting energy demands and maintaining a sustainable environment on
Earth are two of the greatest challenges of the future. Biogas can
be a very significant renewable source of energy that can be used
worldwide. However, to make it usable, upgrading the gas by removing
the unwanted components is a very crucial step. CO
2
being
one of the major unwanted components and also being a major greenhouse
gas must be removed efficiently. Different methods such as physical
adsorption, cryogenic separation, membrane separation, and chemical
absorption have been discussed in detail in this review because of
their availability, economic value, and lower environmental footprint.
Three chemical absorption methods, including alkanolamines, alkali
solvents, and amino acid salt solutions, are discussed. Their primary
works with simple chemicals along with the latest works with more
complex chemicals and different mechanical processes, such as the
DECAB process, are discussed and compared. These discussions provide
valuable insights into how different processes vary and how one is
more advantageous or disadvantageous than the others. However, the
best method is yet to be found with further research. Overall, this
review emphasizes the need for biogas upgrading, and it discusses
different methods of carbon capture while doing that. Methods discussed
here can be a basic foundation for future research in carbon capture
and green chemistry. This review will enlighten the readers about
scientific and technological challenges regarding carbon dioxide minimization
in biogas technology.
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