The scallop shell
waste (
Pectinidae
, one of saltwater
clams) was used as a raw material (precursor) to prepare calcium lactate
(Ca(C
2
H
4
OHCOO)
2
), and the physicochemical
properties of scallop-derived calcium lactate were then investigated.
The scallop waste was first ground to obtain calcium carbonate (CaCO
3
) powder, and the calcium lactate compounds were successfully
synthesized by the reactions between shell-derived CaCO
3
and lactic acid (C
2
H
4
OHCOOH). The short preparation
time, high percentage yield, and low-cost production are the preferred
manners, and, in this research, it was the reaction of 70 wt % lactic
acid and scallop-derived CaCO
3
. The thermal decompositions
of both CaCO
3
precursor and all prepared calcium lactates
resulted in the formation of calcium oxide (CaO), which is widely
used as a catalyst for biodiesel production. By comparing with the
literature, the results obtained from the characterization instruments
(infrared spectrophotometer, X-ray diffractometer, thermogravimetric
analyzer, and scanning electron microscope) confirmed the formation
and crystal structure of both CaCO
3
and its calcium lactate
product. The morphologies of calcium lactate show different sizes
depending on the acid concentration used in the reaction process.
Consequently, this work reports an easy, uncomplicated, low-cost technique
to change the cheap calcium compound product (scallop CaCO
3
) derived from shellfish waste to the valuable compound (calcium
lactate), which can be used in many industries.