WebLog Journal of Chemical Engineering

A low-cost heterogeneous base catalyst was prepared by simple calcination of coconut husk at 700°C and applied to the ethanolysis of Waste Cooking Oil (WCO). The catalyst was characterised by FTIR, XRD, SEM and nitrogen physisorption, revealing a silica-rich matrix containing crystalline quartz, potassium chloride and residual graphitic carbon together with a BET surface area of 181.9 m2 g-1 and a modal pore diameter of 3.0 nm. Response-surface methodology with a central-composite design was…

This study investigates the production of starch-based bioplastics from the mixture of potato and cassava peel waste starch using glycerol as plasticizer (20% wt/v) and comparing reinforcement with calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid (4% wt/wt of filler to starch). The potato and cassava peel starch used in the production of the bioplastics were at a ratio of 3:1, 1 1, and 1:3 (wt/wt)), whereas the pure starches of the potato and cassava peel were studied as control. The physical…