Data on CaO and eggshell catalysts used for biodiesel production.

This research investigated the production of biodiesel from soybean oil (transesterification process) using pure calcium oxide and calcium oxide obtained from eggshell as heterogeneous catalysts. Uncalcined eggshell and calcined eggshell catalysts produced were analysed using XRF and XRD spectrometers. The processing parameters considered during the transesterification of the soybean were methanol/oil mole ratio, catalyst concentration and reaction time and their effects on biodiesel yield were evaluated. Reaction temperature of 60 °C and stirring rate of 450 rpm (revolution per minute) were kept constant. As a result of calcination, XRF analysis revealed an increase in CaO percentage composition of eggshell catalyst from 96% to 97%. Also, the biodiesel yields obtained revealed similar performance patterns for both the calcined eggshell catalyst and the pure CaO catalyst.

Data on calcium oxide and cow bone catalysts used for soybean biodiesel production.

Biodiesel was produced from soybean oil using calcium oxide and cow bone as heterogeneous catalysts, through transesterification process. The soybean oil used was characterized using gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS) and the cow bone catalyst produced was characterized X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer. The effects of the variation of methanol/oil mole ratio, catalyst concentration and reaction temperature on biodiesel yield during the transesterification of soybean oil were investigated. Reaction time of 3 h and stirring rate of 500 rpm were kept constant. Using Response Optimizer (Minitab 17), the optimum conditions for biodiesel production were established. It was observed that the calcination of cow bone catalyst enhanced its conversion to apatite-CaOH. Also, the results obtained showed that the performance trends of calcined cow bone catalyst and the conventional CaO catalyst were similar.