Effectiveness of Heterogenous Catalyst In Biodiesel Production Process: The Use of Zeolite, ZnO and Al2O3

Abstract

One of the most important needs in the biodiesel industry is the availability of catalysts. The catalyst most commonly used in making biodiesel is a homogeneous catalyst. However, the use of this catalyst has a weakness, namely that it is difficult to separate from the reaction mixture so that it will be wasted as waste which can cause environmental pollution. To overcome this, it is necessary to substitute a homogeneous base catalyst with a heterogeneous base catalyst. In this study, biodiesel production was carried out through the transesterification reaction of palm oil and methanol using three types of heterogeneous catalysts, namely zeolite, ZnO, and Al2O3. The results showed that the three types of catalysts can be used to become catalysts in the biodiesel production process. Of the three catalysts, the most effective use for biodiesel production from palm oil is the Al2O3. The characteristics of the biodiesel produced also meet the quality standards set out in the Indonesian National Standard.