Abstract
The catalytic activity of different heterogeneous sulfonic acid-modified catalysts has been assayed in the simultaneous esterification of FFA and transesterification of triglycerides of crude palm oil (FFA content of 5.6 wt%) with methanol, demonstrating the applicability of this kind of acid solids to the one-step production of biodiesel from FFA-containing vegetable oils. The yield towards fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) obtained over these acid materials is enhanced when increasing the acid strength of the catalytic site. Likewise, the use of mesostructured supports has been shown as a factor improving the catalytic performance as compared with macroporous sulfonic acid-based resins, likely due to an enhancement of the mass transfer rates of large molecules, such as triglycerides, within the catalyst structure. Thus, the combination of the open mesoporous structure of a SBA-15 silica support with relatively strong arenesulfonic acid sites leads to a material able to yield high conversion of triglycerides and free fatty acids. Furthermore, a study on the transesterification reaction of crude palm oil with methanol through a surface response analysis has provided as optimal conditions the following: temperature 160 °C, catalyst loading 5.1 wt% referred to the amount of palm oil, and methanol to oil molar ratio 30. Under these conditions, almost 90% of the starting oil is converted to FAME after reacting for just 2 h of reaction. Likewise, surface response analysis has evidenced a strong interaction between temperature and methanol to oil ratio.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Narasimharao K, Lee A, Wilson K (2007) J Biobased Mater Bioenergy 1:19
Demirbas A (2008) Energy Convers Manage 49:125
Slinn M, Kendall K, Mallon C, Andrews J (2008) Bioresour Technol 99:5851
Bournay L, Casanave D, Delfort B, Hillion G, Chodorge JA (2005) Catal Today 106:190
Vasudevan PT, Briggs M (2008) J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 35:421
di Serio M, Cozzolino M, Giordano M, Tesser R, Patrono P, Santacesaria E (2007) Ind Eng Chem Res 46:6379
Ma F, Clements LD, Hanna MA (1998) Trans ASAE 41:1261
Marchetti JM, Miguel VU, Errazu AF (2007) Renew Sustain Energy Rev 11:1300
Marchetti JM, Miguel VU, Errazu AF (2008) Fuel Process Technol 89:740
Cao PG, Dube MA, Tremblay AY (2008) Biomass Bioenergy 32:1028
Canoira L, Rodríguez-Gamero M, Querol E, Alcántara R, Lapuerta M, Oliva F (2008) Ind Eng Chem Res 47:7997
Peng B-X, Shu Q, Wang J-F, Wang GR, Wang D-Z, Han M-H (2008) Process Saf Environ Prot 86:441
Lotero E, Liu Y, Lopez DE, Suwannakarn K, Bruce DA, Goodwin JG Jr (2005) Ind Eng Chem Res 44:5353
Jacobson K, Gopinath R, Meher LC, Dalai AK (2008) Appl Catal B 85:86
López DE, Goodwin JG Jr, Bruce DA, Furuta S (2008) Appl Catal A 339:76
Martins García C, Teixeira S, Ledo Marciniuk L, Schuchardt U (2008) Bioresour Technol 99:6608
Chai F, Cao F, Zhai F, Chen Y, Wang X, Su Z (2007) Adv Synth Catal 349:1057
Miao S, Shanks BH (2009) Appl Catal A 359:113
Tesser R, di Serio M, Guida M, Nastasi M, Santacesaria E (2005) Ind Eng Chem Res 44:7978
Mbaraka IK, McGuire KJ, Shanks BH (2006) Ind Eng Chem Res 45:3022
Mo X, López DE, Suwannakarn K, Liu Y, Lotero E, Goodwin JG Jr, Lu C (2008) J Catal 254:332
Melero JA, Bautista LF, Morales G, Iglesias J, Briones D (2009) Energy Fuels 23:539
Brito A, Borges ME, Otero N (2007) Energy Fuels 21:3280
Ison AP, MacRae AR, Smith CG, Bosley J (1994) Biotechnol Bioeng 43:122
Chung K-H, Chang D-R, Park B-G (2008) Bioresour Technol 99:7438
Margolese D, Melero JA, Christiansen SC, Chmelka BF, Stucky GD (2000) Chem Mater 12:2448
Melero JA, Stucky GD, van Grieken R, Morales G (2002) J Mater Chem 12:1664
Alvaro M, Corma A, Das D, Fornés V, García H (2005) J Catal 231:48
Box GEP, Wilson KB, Stat JR (1951) Soc Ser B-Stat Meth 13:1
Montgomery DC (2005) Design and analysis of experiments, 6th edn. Wiley, New York
Pasias SA, Barakos NK, Papayannakos NG (2009) Ind Eng Chem Res 48:4266
Pouilloux Y, Abro S, Vhove C, Barrault J (1999) J Mol Catal A 149:243
Ni J, Meunier FC (2007) Appl Catal A 333:122
Blanco-Brieva G, Campos-Martin JM, de Frutos MP, Fierro JLG (2008) Ind Eng Chem Res 47:8005
Fu B, Gao L, Niu L, Wei R, Xiao G (2009) Energy Fuels 23:569
Acknowledgements
Financial support from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación is kindly acknowledged (Project number: CTQ2008-01396/PPQ).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Melero, J.A., Bautista, L.F., Iglesias, J. et al. Biodiesel Production Over Arenesulfonic Acid-Modified Mesostructured Catalysts: Optimization of Reaction Parameters Using Response Surface Methodology. Top Catal 53, 795–804 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-010-9465-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-010-9465-0