Use of theobroma cacao l. shell in the obtaining of catalyzer for biodiesel production

Abstract

Currently, a large environmental problem is identified, depletion of non-renewable energy sources, inappropriate use of byproducts from various agroindustrial chains. What is sought are alternatives such as the case of biodiesel, which obtains the response of vegetable oils with alcohols and homogeneous catalysts of basic or acid type, however. Parallel saponification, problems of separation of the engine with the final product, generating lower performance and high costs, which leads to a biodiesel that cannot be competitive with petroleum diesel in economic terms. The byproducts of the cocoa agroindustry represent about 80% of the total weight of the fruit, so it is of great importance for the use, giving an added value. In the present work the effect of the treatment conditions and the concentration of the results obtained from the cocoa husk on the yield of the biodiesel using refined palm oil is evaluated. Where the different conditions of calcination of the cocoa husk are observed in order to obtain the contained potassium, then the basicity tests are carried out, the biodiesel obtaining, they are tested, they differ from the molar form of oil: methanol, analyzing which are the optimal conditions for the production of biodiesel with the solid oil obtained from the cocoa husk.