Transesterification of Low-Quality Triglycerides over a Zn/CaO Heterogeneous Catalyst: Kinetics and Reusability Studies

• DOI: 10.1021/ef400594t
• Publication Date: 2013-07-01T15:43:15Z
• Authors: Dinesh Kumar; Amjad Ali
• Keywords: Soybean oil

Zinc-doped (0.25–7 wt %) calcium oxide (Zn/CaO) has been prepared in nanocrystalline form by a simple wet chemical method followed calcination up to 950 °C. The structural analysis investigated powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), whereas the surface morphology and average particle size of Zn/CaO were determined scanning electron transmission microscopic studies, respectively. catalytic activity toward transesterification cotton seed oil with methanol was found be function its temperature, crystallite size, basic strength. A pseudo-first-order kinetic model applied evaluate parameters for waste methanol, first-order rate constant (k) activation energy (Ea) 0.10 min–1 43 kJ mol–1, catalyst, Zn/CaO, amenable recovery recycling at least five consecutive reaction cycles. Koros–Nowak criterion test employed demonstrate that measured independent influence transport phenomenon. Further, also as an efficient catalyst complete variety triglycerides (having 8.4 % free fatty acids), such virgin oil, soybean castor karanja jatropha mutton fat. Thus, present work demonstrates application high acid containing or non-edible oils feedstock, without any pre-treatment, biodiesel production.