On Tuesday, February, 24,2026 Al-Khwarizmi College of engineering held a master thesis defense in the field of Biochemical engineering titled “Low-Cost Biodiesel Production from Low-Value Oil by Using Prepared Heterogenous Catalyst”, for the master candidate (Zain Aziz Sayhood) at the thesis defense hall, where a degree of passing with distinction was awarded for his research findings.
This study aims to produce biodiesel from cooking oil by using innovative copper-doped zinc oxide nano catalysts, to develop low-cost and environmentally friendly techniques for sustainable and clean energy production. The results demonstrated that waste oils can be efficiently converted into biodiesel with yields exceeding 95%, while reaction time and energy consumption were significantly reduced through the use of ultrasonication technology.
The study demonstrated that the use of CU-ZnO catalyst contributes to rising the conversion efficiency and increasing the catalytic activity, as well as ultrasonication technique contributed to reducing the reaction time and catalyst amount used with high yield. the results proved that the proposed process is considered effective and feasible, also promoting the goals of utilizing waste materials and converting them into alternative energy.
These findings represent an important step toward promoting sustainable energy alternatives and supporting national efforts in clean energy development. Moreover, the study directly contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Clean and Affordable Energy (Goal 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12), Climate Action through reduced emissions and pollution (Goal 13), and Innovation and Sustainable Industry through the use of advanced materials (Goal 9). Reflecting the role of the scientific research in serving sustainable development and the community.
