Enhancing Eco-Friendly Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil Using Rice Husk, Coconut Husk and Chicken Manure as a Catalyst

The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has intensified research into biodiesel production, which relies on chemical catalysts that have an environmental impact. This study investigates the alternative methods of biodiesel production by utilizing agricultural waste, specifically rice husk, coconut husk, and chicken manure as a catalyst for biodiesel production. Laboratory experiments were conducted to extract metal oxide from agricultural waste to be used as a catalyst in the transesterification process. The obtained ash was characterized, and it was revealed that rice husk ash contained 98% SiO 2 , coconut husk ash had 72.62% of K 2 O, and chicken manure ash had 46.56% CaO, with higher metal oxide compositions in each material. The transesterification reaction was conducted by varying alcohol to oil ratio from 3:1, 6:1, 9:1, and 12:1, temperature (40-80°C), catalyst concentration (1.5-4.5%wt), and reaction time (20-120min) to assess catalyst efficiency. Pure CaO was used as a control catalyst for comparison. Characterization of the produced biodiesel from all catalysts was conducted and compared to ASTM D6751 standards. The results for acid value, moisture content, density, viscosity, free fatty acid, flash point, pour point, and cloud point were analyzed and found to comply with ASTM D6751 standards. On quantity determination of produced biodiesel, the most effective catalyst was chicken manure ash with a yield of 80% and the least effective catalyst was rice husk ash with 68% yield. Using agricultural waste reduces up to 40% production cost.