Cutting Cost Technology for the Preparation of Biodiesel Using Environmentally Benign and Cheaper Catalyst

Preparation and characterization of biodiesel from waste cooking oils using heterogeneous Catalyst(Cat.TS-7) based on natural zeolite

Biodiesel is known as renewable biodegradable and less polluting material. It is produced by transesterification of triglycerides found in vegetable oil or animal fats. Many studies have been conducted on biodiesel production using homogeneous catalysts, but they are very expensive and not environmentally friendly. On the other hand, heterogeneous catalysts are cost-effective from the production process and ecofriendly. In this study, zeolite ore was used as a solid heterogeneous catalyst for the production of biodiesel by the transesterification reaction of waste cooking oils and studying the possibility of reusing it for several cycles under optimal reaction conditions. The catalyst was characterized by different techniques, such as TG-DTA, FTIR, XRD and TPD methods. High-quality biodiesel with 93% yield was obtained under optimal reaction conditions with the ratio of oil to methanol (1:9) mol, amount of catalyst (1.5% by weight of oil), at temperature (60 ^°C), and reaction time of 2 h. Biodiesel has been characterized using infrared spectroscopy, GC/MS, its physical and chemical specifications have been studied and compared with the American (ASTM) and European (EN) standards.

Widely used catalysts in biodiesel production: a review

An ever-increasing energy demand and environmental problems associated with exhaustible fossil fuels have led to the search for an alternative renewable source of energy. In this context, biodiesel has attracted attention worldwide as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuel for being renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable, and carbon-neutral. Although the homogeneous catalyst has its own merits, much attention is currently paid toward the chemical synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production as it can be tuned as per specific requirement and easily recovered, thus enhancing reusability. Recently, biomass-derived heterogeneous catalysts have risen to the forefront of biodiesel productions because of their sustainable, economical and eco-friendly nature. Furthermore, nano and bifunctional catalysts have emerged as a powerful catalyst largely due to their high surface area, and potential to convert free fatty acids and triglycerides to biodiesel, respectively. This review highlights the latest synthesis routes of various types of catalysts (including acidic, basic, bifunctional and nanocatalysts) derived from different chemicals, as well as biomass. In addition, the impacts of different methods of preparation of catalysts on the yield of biodiesel are also discussed in details.

An ever-increasing energy demand and environmental problems associated with exhaustible fossil fuels have led to the search for an alternative energy. In this context, biodiesel has attracted attention worldwide as an alternative to fossil fuel.