The Use of Heterogeneous Metal Alkoxide Catalysts in Biodiesel Transesterification Reactions.
Abstract
Reactions that involve two immiscible reactants are challenging to perform due to limitations associated with mass transport. This becomes even more challenging when a catalyst is required to progress the reaction. Biodiesel producing transesterification reaction is an example of such an immiscible system that uses lipids and alcohols. The presently used homogeneous biodiesel catalysts circumvent this issue by acting as mild surfactants that stabilize the reactants that are immiscible in each other. However, heterogeneous catalysts, though easily separable from the reaction medium, are not known to provide these emulsification abilities. Accordingly, there is a need for a solid (heterogeneous) catalyst that will act as an amphiphile (emulsifier) between the two immiscible transesterification reactants. This solid catalyst would stabilize the emulsified the reactants and catalyze the reaction between with its active sites.
Amphiphilic nanoemulsion catalysis is a very new (though not unproven) concept and there remains much work to do to develop optimal conditions, and methods for the preparation of such novel catalysts. In this research, we attempted to attach titanium isopropoxide to solid aluminum hydroxide and determined the effects of method of attachment and other variables upon its use in the transesterification process. FTIR was used to ascertain the attachment of the titanium alkoxide to the alumina substrate by noting the presence or absence of a peak near 1080 cm-1. Three transesterifications were performed on selected experiments and the fatty acid alkyl ester contents of the product mixtures were measured. . Results suggest that the procedures tested could produce an economically viable catalyst in the future, though more research is necessary to determine the optimal catalyst composition.
Citation
Rooney, William 1991- (2012). The Use of Heterogeneous Metal Alkoxide Catalysts in Biodiesel Transesterification Reactions.. Honors and Undergraduate Research. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /154383.