Iron Oxide Catalysts Supported on Porous Silica for the Production of Biodiesel from Crude Jatropha Oil

A heterogeneous catalyst, FeO _x /SiO₂, prepared by the pore-filling method, was found to be active in the transesterification of crude Jatropha oil with methanol. When the transesterification reaction was carried out with a reaction temperature of 220?°C, a catalyst amount of 15?wt%, a methanol/oil molar ratio of 218:1, and a reaction time of 3?h, the yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in the product exceeded 99.0?%, and met with EN standards for allowable contents of glycerine and mono-, di-, and tri-glycerides. The correlation between the FAME production activity and measured acidity of the FeO _x /SiO₂ catalysts showed that the transesterification reaction was promoted via the acidic function of these catalysts, which are less inhibited by coexisting free fatty acids in the feedstock triglycerides.     

Conversion of biomass to fuel: Transesterification of vegetable oil to biodiesel using KF loaded nano-γ-Al2O3 as catalyst

KF-impregnated nanoparticles of γ-Al₂O₃ were calcinated and used as heterogeneous catalysts for the transesterification of vegetable oil with methanol for the synthesis of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters, FAME). The ratio of KF to nano-γ-Al₂O₃, calcination temperature, molar ratio of methanol/oil, transesterification reaction temperature and time, and the concentration of the catalyst were used as the parameters of the study. A methyl ester yield of 97.7 ± 2.14% was obtained under the catalyst preparation and transesterification conditions of KF loading of 15 wt%, calcination temperature of 773 K, 8 h of reaction time at 338 K, and using 3 wt% catalysts and molar ratio of methanol/oil of 15:1. This relatively high conversion of vegetable oil to biodiesel is considered to be associated with the achieved relatively high basicity of the catalyst surface (1.68 mmol/g) and the high surface to volume ratio of the nanoparticles of γ-Al₂O₃.     

Transesterification of edible and non-edible oils over basic solid Mg/Zr catalysts

A series of Mg–Zr catalysts with varying Mg to Zr ratios was prepared by co-precipitation method. These catalysts were characterized by BET surface area, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photo electron spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption of CO₂. The catalytic activity of these catalysts was evaluated for the room temperature transesterification of both edible and non-edible oils to their corresponding fatty acid methyl esters. The catalyst with Mg/Zr (2:1 wt./wt.%) exhibited exceptional activity towards transesterification reaction within short reaction time. The effects of different reaction parameters such as catalyst to oil mass ratio, reaction temperature, reaction time and methanol to oil molar ratio were studied to optimize the reaction conditions. The reasons for the observed activity of these catalysts are discussed in terms of their basicity and other physico-chemical properties.     

Transesterification of waste cooking palm oil by MnZr with supported alumina as a potential heterogeneous catalyst

The transesterification of waste cooking palm oil (WCPO) with methanol into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) was investigated using solid acidic mixed oxide catalysts Mn_3.5xZr_0.5yAl_xO₃ prepared via coprecipitation. The effects of reaction temperature, time, molar methanol-to-oil ratio, and catalyst loading were investigated. The stability of the catalytic activity was examined via leaching and reusability tests through five consecutive batch runs. The catalyst achieved a FAME content of more than 93%, and the optimal reaction conditions are as follows: reaction temperature of 150 °C, reaction time of 5 h, molar methanol-to-WCPO ratio of 14:1, and catalyst loading of 2.5 wt.%.     

Rape oil transesterification over heterogeneous catalysts

This work studies the application of KNO₃/CaO catalyst in the transesterification reaction of triglycerides with methanol. The objective of the work was characterizing the methyl esters for its use as biodiesel in compression ignition motors. The variables affecting the methyl ester yield during the transesterification reaction, such as, amount of KNO₃ impregnated in CaO, the total catalyst content, reaction temperature, agitation rate, and the methanol/oil molar ratio, were investigated to optimize the reaction conditions.The evolution of the process was followed by gas chromatography, determining the concentration of the methyl esters at different reaction times. The biodiesel was characterized by its density, viscosity, cetane index, saponification value, iodine value, acidity index, CFPP (cold filter plugging point), flash point and combustion point, according to ISO norms. The results showed that calcium oxide, impregnated with KNO₃, have a strong basicity and high catalytic activity as a heterogeneous solid base catalyst.The biodiesel with the best properties was obtained using an amount of KNO₃ of 10% impregnated in CaO, a methanol/oil molar ratio of 6:1, a reaction temperature of 65 °C, a reaction time of 3.0 h, and a catalyst total content of 1.0%. In these conditions, the oil conversion was 98% and the final product obtained had very similar characteristics to a no. 2 diesel, and therefore, these methyl esters might be used as an alternative to fossil fuels.     

Biodiesel production using tetramethyl- and benzyltrimethyl ammonium hydroxides as strong base catalysts

In recent years, the acceptance of fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel) as an alternative fuel has rapidly grown in EU. The most common method for biodiesel production is based on triglyceride transesterification to methyl esters with dissolved sodium hydroxide in methanol as catalyst. In this study, cottonseed oil and used frying oil were subjected to the transesterification reaction with tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide and benzyltrimethyl ammonium hydroxide as strong base catalysts. This work investigates the optimum conditions for biodiesel production using amine-based liquid catalysts. Biodiesel ester content was strongly related with the type of feedstock and the reaction variables, such as those of the catalyst concentration, methanol to oil molar ratio, and reaction time. The overall results suggested that the transesterification of cottonseed oil achieved high conversion rates with both catalysts, while the use of waste oil resulted in lower yields of methyl esters due to the possible formation of amides.     

Transesterification of karanja (Pongamia pinnata) oil by solid basic catalysts

The transesterification of karanja oil with methanol was carried out using solid basic catalysts. Alkali metal‐impregnated calcium oxide catalysts, due to their strong basicity, catalyze the transesterification of triacylglycerols. The alkali metal (Li, Na, K)‐doped calcium oxide catalysts were prepared and used for the transesterification of karanja oil containing 0.48–5.75% of free fatty acids (FFA). The reaction conditions, such as catalyst concentration, reaction temperature and molar ratio of methanol/oil, were optimized with the solid basic Li/CaO catalyst. This catalyst, at a concentration of 2 wt‐%, resulted in 94.9 wt‐% of methyl esters in 8 h at a reaction temperature of 65 °C and a 12 : 1 molar ratio of methanol to oil, during methanolysis of karanja oil having 1.45% FFA. The yield of methyl esters decreased from 94.9 to 90.3 wt‐% when the FFA content of karanja oil was increased from 0.48 to 5.75%. The performance of this catalyst was not significantly affected in the presence of a high FFA content up to 5.75%. The catalytic activities of Na/CaO and K/CaO were also studied at the optimized reaction conditions. In these two cases, the reaction initially proceeds slowly, however, leading to similar yields as in the case of Li/CaO after 8 h of reaction time. The purified karanja methyl esters have an acid value of 0.36 mg KOH/g and an ester content of 98.6 wt‐%, which satisfy the American as well as the European specifications for biodiesel in terms of acid value and ester content.     

Production of biodiesel by ultrasound assisted esterification of Oreochromis niloticus oil

This paper evaluates the production of methyl esters from Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) oil and methanol. The reaction was carried out applying low-frequency high-intensity ultrasound (40 kHz) under atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the influence of alcohol to oil molar ratio, catalyst concentration (sulfuric acid) and temperature on the yield of O. niloticus oil into methyl esters. Analysis of the operating conditions by RSM showed that the most important operating condition affecting the reaction was the alcohol to FFA molar ratio. The highest yield observed was of 98.2% after 90 min of reaction. The optimal operating condition was obtained applying an alcohol to oil molar ratio of 9.0 and a catalyst concentration of 2.0% w/w and temperature of 30 °C.     

Evaluation of biodiesel obtained from cottonseed oil

Esters from vegetable oils have attracted a great deal of interest as substitutes for petrodiesel to reduce dependence on imported petroleum and provide a fuel with more benign environmental properties. In this work biodiesel was prepared from cottonseed oil by transesterification with methanol, using sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium methoxide and potassium methoxide as catalysts. A series of experiments were conducted in order to evaluate the effects of reaction variables such as methanol/oil molar ratio (3:1–15:1), catalyst concentration (0.25–1.50%), temperature (25–65 °C), and stirring intensity (180–600 rpm) to achieve the maximum yield and quality. The optimized variables of 6:1 methanol/oil molar ratio (mol/mol), 0.75% sodium methoxide concentration (wt.%), 65 °C reaction temperature, 600 rpm agitation speed and 90 min reaction time offered the maximum methyl ester yield (96.9%). The obtained fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The fuel properties of cottonseed oil methyl esters (COME), cetane number, kinematic viscosity, oxidative stability, lubricity, cloud point, pour point, cold filter plugging point, flash point, ash content, sulfur content, acid value, copper strip corrosion value, density, higher heating value, methanol content, free and bound glycerol were determined and are discussed in the light of biodiesel standards such as ASTM D6751 and EN 14214.     

Transesterification of rapeseed oil in subcritical methanol conditions

In this study, transesterification of rapeseed oil using subcritical methanol conditions was studied. The objective of the work was characterizing the methyl esters for its use as biodiesel in compression ignition motors. The variables affecting the methyl ester yield during the transesterification reaction, such as, the catalyst type and content, reaction temperature and pressure, the presence of hexane as co-solvent, the methanol oil molar ratio and the methanol hexane molar ratio were investigated to optimize the reaction conditions. The evolution of the process was followed by gas chromatography, determining the concentration of the methyl esters at different reaction times. The biodiesel was characterized by its density, viscosity, saponification value, iodine value, acidity index and water content, according to ISO norms. High methyl ester yield and fast reaction rate could be obtained even if the reaction pressure was relatively low, which is quite favorable to the production of biodiesel in industry.     

Synthesis of Biodiesel from Canola Oil Using Heterogeneous Base Catalyst

A series of alkali metal (Li, Na, K) promoted alkali earth oxides (CaO, BaO, MgO), as well as K₂CO₃ supported on alumina (Al₂O₃), were prepared and used as catalysts for transesterification of canola oil with methanol. Four catalysts such as K₂CO₃/Al₂O₃ and alkali metal (Li, Na, K) promoted BaO were effective for transesterification with >85 wt% of methyl esters. ICP-MS analysis revealed that leaching of barium in ester phase was too high (~1,000 ppm) when BaO based catalysts were used. As barium is highly toxic, these catalysts were not used further for transesterification of canola oil. Optimization of reaction conditions such as molar ratio of alcohol to oil (6:1–12:1), reaction temperature (40–60 °C) and catalyst loading (1–3 wt%) was performed for most efficient and environmentally friendly K₂CO₃/Al₂O₃ catalyst to maximize ester yield using response surface methodology (RSM). The RSM suggested that a molar ratio of alcohol to oil 11.48:1, a reaction temperature of 60 °C, and catalyst loading 3.16 wt% were optimum for the production of ester from canola oil. The predicted value of ester yield was 96.3 wt% in 2 h, which was in agreement with the experimental results within 1.28%.     

In situ transesterification of coconut oil using mixtures of methanol and tetrahydrofuran

The conventional biodiesel production method requires oil extraction followed by transesterification with methanol. The solubility of vegetable oils in methanol is low which decreases the overall rate of reaction. To eliminate the oil extraction step and improve the overall reaction rate, simultaneous extraction, esterification and transesterification were conducted by directly mixing methanol and tetrahydrofuran (THF) co-solvent and sulfuric acid catalyst with ground, desiccated coconut meat (copra) in a batch process and continuing the reaction until the system reached steady state. After separation of the mixture, yield was obtained by measuring the content of triglycerides, diglycerides and monoglycerides in the biodiesel phase. The yield increases with THF:methanol ratio, methanol:oil molar ratio and temperature. Within the range of conditions tested, the highest yield achieved was 96.7% at 60 °C, THF:methanol volume ratio of 0.4 and methanol:oil molar ratio of 60:1. The methanol:oil molar ratio is necessarily high in order to completely wet the copra mass, but is still lower than in previous studies by other researchers on in situ transesterification. Product assays show that the resulting biodiesel product is similar to conventionally produced coconut biodiesel. The results indicate that the in situ transesterification of copra using methanol/THF mixtures merits further study.     

Soybean oil transesterification over zinc oxide modified with alkali earth metals

Fatty acid methyl esters, derived from vegetable oils or animal fats and better known as biodiesel, have received considerable attention because of their environmental benefits and the limited resources of fossil fuels. Most biodiesel is usually produced by the transesterification of vegetable oils with methanol in the presence of a catalyst. This study reports on the preliminary results of using alkaline earth metal-doped zinc oxide as a heterogeneous catalyst for transesterification of soybean oil. The highest catalytic activity was obtained with ZnO loaded with 2.5 mmol Sr(NO₃)₂/g, followed by calcination at 873 K for 5 h. When the transesterification reaction was carried out at reflux of methanol (338 K), with a 12:1 molar ratio of methanol to soybean oil and a catalyst amount of 5 wt.%, the conversion of soybean oil was 94.7%. Besides, tetrahydrofuran (THF), when used as a co-solvent, could increase the conversion up to 96.8%. However, the recovered catalyst exhibited the lower catalytic activity with a conversion of soybean oil of 15.4%. Furthermore, DTA-TG, IR and the Hammett indicator method were employed for the catalyst characterizations.     

Oil transesterification over calcium oxides modified with lanthanum

Investigations were conducted on a series of calcium and lanthanum oxides catalyst for biodiesel production. Mixed oxides catalyst showed a superior transesterification activity over pure calcium or pure lanthanum oxide catalysts. The catalyst activity was correlated with surface basicity and specific surface areas. The effects of water and free fatty acids (FFA) levels in oil feedstock, water and CO₂ in air, mass ratio of catalyst, molar ratio of oil to methanol, and reaction temperature on fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield were investigated. Under optimal conditions, FAME yields reached 94.3% within 60 min at 58 °C. Mixed CaO-La₂O₃ catalyst showed a high tolerance to water and FFA, and could be used for converting pure or diluted unrefined/waste oils to biodiesel.     

Transesterification of palm oil on KyMg1 − xZn1 + xO3 catalyst: Effect of Mg-Zn interaction

The Mg-Zn interaction effect of K_yMg_1 − xZn_1 + xO₃ heterogeneous type catalyst and its performance on transesterification of palm oil have been studied using the response surface methodology and the factorial design of experiments. The catalyst was synthesized using the co-precipitation method and the activity was assessed by transesterification of palm oil into fatty acid methyl esters. The ratio of the Mg/Zn metal interaction, temperature and time of calcination were found to have positive influence on the conversion of palm oil to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) with the effect of metal to metal ratio and temperature of calcination being more significant. The catalytic activity was found to decrease at higher calcination temperature and the catalyst type K₂Mg_0.34Zn_1.66O₃ with Mg/Zn ratio of 4.81 gave FAME content of 73% at a catalyst loading of 1.404 wt.% of oil with molar ratio of methanol to oil being 6:1 at temperature of 150 °C in 6 h. A regression model was obtained to predict conversions to methyl esters as a function of metal interaction ratio, temperature of calcination and time. The observed activity of the synthesized catalyst was due to its synergetic structure and composition.     

Transesterification of sunflower oil catalyzed by flyash-based solid catalysts

Flyash-based base catalyst was used in the transesterification of sunflower oil with methanol to methyl esters in a heterogeneous manner. Catalyst preparation variables such as, the KNO₃ loading amount and calcination temperature were optimized. The catalysts were characterized by powder XRD. The catalyst prepared by loading of 5 wt.% KNO₃ on flyash followed by its calcination at 773 K has exhibited maximum oil conversion (87.5 wt.%). The influence of various reaction parameters such as % catalyst loading, methanol to oil molar ratio, reaction time, temperature, reusability of the catalyst on the catalytic activity was investigated. K₂O derived from KNO₃ might be an essential component in the catalyst for its efficiency.     

Transesterification of vegetable oil to biodiesel fuel using alkaline catalyst

Biodiesel is gaining more and more importance as an attractive fuel due to the depleting fossil fuel resources. Chemically biodiesel is monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from renewable feed stock like vegetable oils and animal fats. It is produced by transesterification in which, oil or fat is reacted with a monohydric alcohol in presence of a catalyst to give the corresponding monoalkyl esters. This article reports experimental data on the production of fatty acid methyl esters from vegetable oils, soybean and cottonseed oils using sodium hydroxide as alkaline catalyst. The variables affecting the yield and characteristics of the biodiesel produced from these vegetable oils were studied. The variables investigated were reaction time (1-3 h), catalyst concentration (0.5-1.5 w/wt%), and oil-to-methanol molar ratio (1:3-1:9). From the obtained results, the best yield percentage was obtained using a methanol/oil molar ratio of 6:1, sodium hydroxide as catalyst (1%) and 60 ± 1 °C temperature for 1 h. The yield of the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) was determined according to HPLC. The composition of the FAME was determined according to gas chromatography. The biodiesel samples were physicochemically characterized. From the results it was clear that the produced biodiesel fuel was within the recommended standards of biodiesel fuel.     

Magnetic Solid Base Catalysts for the Production of Biodiesel

Magnetic solid base catalysts were prepared by loading Na₂SiO₃ on Fe₃O₄ nano-particles with Na₂O·3SiO₂ and NaOH as precipitator. The catalysts were used to catalyze the transesterification reactions for the production of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME, namely biodiesel) from cottonseed oil. The optimum conditions of the catalysts' preparation and transesterification reactions were investigated by orthogonal experiments. The catalyst with the highest catalytic activity was obtained when Si/Fe molar ratio of 2.5, aging time of 2 h, calcination temperature of 350 °C, calcination time of 2.5 h. Magnetic of the catalyst was characterized with Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) and transmission electron microscopy photograph (TEM), and the results showed the catalyst Na₂SiO₃/Fe₃O₄ had good specific saturation magnetization and paramagnetism, and its water resistance was better than the traditional homogeneous base catalysts; under the transesterification conditions of methanol/oil molar ratio of 7:1, catalyst dosage of 5%, reaction temperature of 60 °C, reaction time of 100 min and stirring speed of 400 rpm, yield of biodiesel was 99.6%. The lifetime and recovery rate of the magnetic solid base catalyst were much better than those of Na₂SiO₃.     

Biodiesel synthesis via homogeneous Lewis acid-catalyzed transesterification

Lewis acids (AlCl₃ or ZnCl₂) were used to catalyze the transesterification of canola oil with methanol in the presence of terahydrofuran (THF) as co-solvent. The conversion of canola oil into fatty acid methyl esters was monitored by ¹H NMR. NMR analysis demonstrated that AlCl₃ catalyzes both the esterification of long chain fatty acid and the transesterification of vegetable oil with methanol suggesting that the catalyst is suitable for the preparation of biodiesel from vegetable oil containing high amounts of free fatty acids. Optimization by statistical analysis showed that the conversion of triglycerides into fatty acid methyl esters using AlCl₃ as catalyst was affected by reaction time, methanol to oil molar ratio, temperature and the presence of THF as co-solvent. The optimum conditions with AlCl₃ that achieved 98% conversion were 24:1 molar ratio at 110 °C and 18 h reaction time with THF as co-solvent. The presence of THF minimized the mass transfer problem normally encountered in heterogeneous systems. ZnCl₂ was far less effective as a catalyst compared to AlCl₃, which was attributed to its lesser acidity. Nevertheless, statistical analysis showed that the conversion with the use of ZnCl₂ differs only with reaction time but not with molar ratio.     

Synthesis of biodiesel from sunflower oil with silica‐supported NaOH catalysts

BACKGROUND: A series of NaOH catalysts supported on commercial silica have been prepared by conventional incipient wetness impregnation and their activity tested in the reaction of transesterification of refined sunflower oil with methanol at 323 K and atmospheric pressure. The effects of the molar methanol/oil ratio, catalyst concentration, NaOH loading and calcination of the supported catalysts have been investigated. RESULTS: It has been found that the transesterification rate largely depends on the catalyst/methanol ratio and that calcination of the NaOH catalysts supported on silica, even at moderate temperatures, had a very negative effect on their activity. Selectivity, on the other hand, is more affected by the methanol/oil ratio. Selectivity for methyl esters (biodiesel) improved with the methanol/oil ratio due to an increased transesterification rate of diglycerides, whereas the selectivity for monoglycerides was not affected. CONCLUSION: The NaOH/silica catalysts suffered from a significant lack of chemical stability under reaction conditions as evidenced by measurements of sodium extracted during the reaction progress; therefore, their performance was affected by the presence of Na dissolved in the methanol phase. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry