Catalytic Innovation for Renewable Energy: TiO2-Supported Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Catalyst for Eco-Friendly Biodiesel Synthesis

Biodiesel produced through transesterification reactions with homogeneous and heterogeneous base catalysts is a promising alternative energy source. This study uses Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) enriched with TiO2 to produce biodiesel from waste vegetable oil. The synthesized catalyst was comprehensively identified through XRD, XRF, SEM, BET, and FT-IR analyses and then applied in the transesterification reaction. The results showed that PCC enriched with TiO2 is an effective catalyst, producing biodiesel with an efficiency of 95.09% under optimal conditions: 5wt%catalyst, a methanol to oil ratio of 6:1, a reaction temperature of 65°C, and a reaction time of 4hours. Enhancing catalytic properties, increased surface area, and strengthening of basic sites significantly improved biodiesel yield.