Biodiesel production from Jatropha curcas crude oil using ZnO/SiO2 photocatalyst for free fatty acids esterification

Authors: Grisel Corro, Umapada Pal, Nallely Tellez

Abstract: 
We reporttheproductionof biodieselfromMexicanJatropha Curcas crude oil (JCCO) by a two stepcatalytic process. The high content of free fatty acids (FFA) present in JCCO was first esterified with methanol by a photocatalytic process under UV irradiation using ZnO/SiO₂ as the heterogeneous photocatalyst. The solid catalyst was found to be highly active for the heterogeneous photocatalyic esterification of FFA with methanol. The activity of the solid catalyst remained unchanged even after 10 esterification runs, indicating that the heterogeneous photocatalysis is a viable option for FFA esterification reactions for biodiesel production. Transesterification step was catalyzed by NaOH through thermal activation process. Producedbiodieselfulfills allthe international requirements for itsutilizationas a fuel.Aprobable reaction mechanism for the esterification process is proposed considering the generation of H⁺, CH₃O· and R-COOH• on the photocatalyst surface.

Keywords:
Biodiesel
Photocatalytic esterification
Jatropha curcas oil
Heterogeneous photocatalyst

Published in: Applied catalysis B: Environmental  (Volume 129, Pages 1-614, 17 January 2013)

Publisher: Elsevier  

ISSN Information: 0926-3373

Biodiesel production from Jatropha curcas crude oil using ZnO/SiO2 photocatalyst for free fatty acids esterification

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