Abstract:
In the pursuit of a circular economy and against a background of viable alternative uses of avian eggshells and
eggshell membranes, this research investigated the effect of domesticated chicken eggshell membrane
separation on the calcination process and quality of Calcium Oxide (CaO) produced. Acetic acid was used to
leach the eggshells for 60 min to aid separation of the shell membrane. X-ray diffraction, red green blue colour
model, and thermogravimetric analyses were used to characterize the calcined shells. Leached and separated
shells produced CaO of comparable quality and crystallinity to unseparated shells after calcination. Results
showed that while leaching and membrane separation did not affect calcination temperature, residual ash from
the membrane left impurities in the unseparated shells after calcination. It was concluded that leaching and
separating the membranes from eggshells prior to calcination serves to upcycle eggshells by facilitating
improved CaO production and membrane value extraction.
