“Iron and steel industry slag as heterogeneous catalyst in transesterification of waste cooking oil to Biodiesel”
Country of Study
South Africa
Institution
Vaal University of Technology
Expected Year of Completion
2024
Thematic Area
Energy and Engineering
Education
Johra is pursuing a PhD in Chemical Engineering at Vaal University of Technology in South Africa and is also a Tutorial Fellow at the Technical University of Kenya. She has an MSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kwazulu Natal and will be completing her studies in 2024.
Research Summary
A global dash to discover alternatives to expensive and environmentally harmful petroleum-based fuels has sparked an uptick in research for biofuels made from renewable resources. Biodiesel, in particular, has received a lot of attention. However, its production cost has made it difficult to compete with petro-diesel prices. To make biodiesel production economically viable, attention has shifted to using low-quality feedstocks such as waste cooking oil (WCO). WCO presents a viable alternative as a feedstock, since it is readily available and eliminates the environmental challenges caused by poor waste management. However, WCO contains a high percentage of free fatty acids (FFAs) which negatively impact the performance of conventional homogeneous alkali catalysts used in large-scale production. Thus, Johra’s research suggests a heterogeneous catalyst that is tolerant to high FFAs concentrations, efficient, and economically friendly is necessary. Her work centres on iron and steel industry slag which is rich in CaO, Fe2O3, and SiO2 compounds that significantly facilitate transesterification. However, in its original form, the slag has poor catalytic activity. To improve the catalytic activity, chemical impregnation or thermal treatments can modify the slag. Most slags end up in landfills, leading to the soil, underground water, and atmospheric pollution. Finding another way to utilise slag enhances the circular economy. To ensure economic and environmental viability, it is essential to carry out a techno-economic assessment of the process. The use of WCO and modified iron and steel industry slag as feedstock and catalysts, respectively, in biodiesel production is a promising avenue for economically viable and environmentally friendly biofuel production.
