title: Development and characterisation of novel heterogeneous palm oil mill boiler ash-based catalysts for biodiesel production.
abstract: Novel heterogeneous catalysts from calcium oxide (CaO)/calcined calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) loaded onto different palm oil mill boiler ashes were synthesised and used in the transesterification of crude palm oil (CPO) with methanol to yield biodiesel. Catalyst preparation parameters including the type of ash support, the weight percentage of CaO and calcined CaCO(3) loadings, as well as the calcination temperature of CaCO(3) were optimised. The catalyst prepared by loading of 15 wt% calcined CaCO(3) at a fixed temperature of 800°C on fly ash exhibited a maximum oil conversion of 94.48%. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the CaCO(3) was transformed into CaO at 770°C and interacted well with the ash support, whereas rich CaO, Al(2)O(3) and SiO(2) were identified in the composition using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The fine morphology size (<5 μm) and high surface area (1.719 m(2)/g) of the fly ash-based catalyst rendered it the highest catalytic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wilson Wei Sheng
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Hoon Kiat
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Suyin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gan
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D002384:Catalysis; D060729:Coal Ash / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D004951:Esterification; D006361:Heating / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D060729:Coal Ash; D010938:Plant Oils; D000073878:Palm Oil; D000432:Methanol