APPLICATION OF TAGUCHI L9 DESIGN FOR PARAMETRIC OPTIMIZATION AND ENHANCED BIODIESEL YIELD FROM WASTE COOKING OIL CATALYZED BY EGGSHELL/ANTHILL MIXED OXIDES COMPOSITE
Abstract
The escalating demand for sustainable energy has driven the exploration of
waste-derived feedstocks and catalysts for biodiesel production. This study
investigates the optimization of biodiesel yield from waste cooking oil (WCO)
using a novel eggshell-anthill mixed oxides composite catalyst via the Taguchi
L9 orthogonal array design. Four key process parameters methanol-to-oil
molar ratio (8:1–12:1), catalyst weight (1.5–2.5 wt.%), reaction temperature (60–
100 °C), and reaction time (40–60 min) were evaluated. The catalyst was
prepared by blending eggshell and anthill powders in a 1:1 ratio, followed by
calcination at 850 °C for 4 hours. Characterization techniques (XRF, SEM, and
XRD) confirmed high CaO content (72.85 wt.%), porous irregular morphology, and crystalline CaO phases suitable for transesterification. Experimental
results showed biodiesel yields ranging from 80.76% to 90.87%, with the
regression model exhibiting excellent fit (R² = 0.9878). ANOVA and
contribution analysis revealed catalyst weight as the most influential factor
(85.42% contribution), followed by reaction time and methanol-to-oil ratio. Optimal conditions were identified as methanol-to-oil ratio of 10:1, catalyst
loading of 2.0 wt.%, and reaction time of 40 min, yielding a maximum of 91.23%
FAME. The produced biodiesel met ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 standards in
key physicochemical properties. This work demonstrates the potential of low- cost, dual-waste-derived heterogeneous catalysts for efficient and
environmentally friendly biodiesel production.
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Published in Salem Journal of Science, Information & Communication Technology
ISSN: 627-4467X
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