Transesterification of edible, non-edible and used cooking oils for biodiesel production using calcined layered double hydroxides as reusable base catalysts.
Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were produced from edible, non-edible and used cooking oils with different fatty acid contents by transesterification with methanol using calcined layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as solid base catalysts. Among the catalysts, calcined CaAl2-LDH (hydrocalumite) showed the highest activity with >90% yield of FAME using low methanol:oil molar ratio (<6:1) at 65 °C in 5 h. The activity of the catalyst was attributed to its high basicity as supported by Hammett studies and CO(2)-TPD measurements. The catalyst was successfully reused in up to four cycles. Some of the properties such as density, viscosity, neutralization number and glycerol content of the obtained biodiesel matched well with the standard DIN values. It is concluded that a scalable heterogeneously catalyzed process for production of biodiesel in high yields from a wide variety of triglyceride oils including used oils is possible using optimized conditions.
Discipline of Inorganic Materials and Catalysis, Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), GB Marg, Bhavnagar 364002, India.
Sivashunmugam
S
Sankaranarayanan
Churchil A
CA
Antonyraj
S
S
Kannan
D000327:Adsorption; D000388:Air; D000468:Alkalies / Q000737:chemistry*; D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D002384:Catalysis; D003296:Cooking; D004951:Esterification; D004952:Esters / Q000032:analysis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006878:Hydroxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism*; D059027:Recycling; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D000468:Alkalies; D056804:Biofuels; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006878:Hydroxides; D010938:Plant Oils; D014280:Triglycerides; D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D000432:Methanol