Abstract
The search for acid-base bifunctional catalysts has become a hot topic in the preparation of biofuels from renewable resources. In the present work, a series of novel acid-base bifunctional metal-boron catalysts were successfully prepared by a sol-gel method and characterized by XRD, IR, SEM, TEM, TGA, BET, and TPD. Among those bifunctional solid materials, the Ca-B(700) catalyst had the highest density of both acid and base sites and showed excellent catalytic performance in the production of biodiesel from nonedible oils with high acid value. Under the optimal reaction conditions of 20/1 methanol/oil mole ratio and 4 wt % catalyst dosage at 105 °C for 2 h, a high biodiesel yield of 96.0% could be obtained from Jatropha curcas oil in one-pot. In addition, Ca-B(700) was also applicable to producing biodiesel from Firmiana platanifolia L.f. oil in a relatively low acid value, with an almost quantitative yield (98.5%) at 65 °C after 2 h. The Ca-B(700) catalyst had good stability and reusability, which is a promising acid-base bifunctional catalytic material for the preparation of biodiesel.
Highlights
In recent years, with the gradual reduction of fossil fuels, people began to pay more and more attention to the use of alternative renewable energy derived from biomass [1,2]
Biodiesel is typically obtained by esterification and transesterification of raw materials in the presence of acid or base catalysts
The crude oils of Jatropha curcas L. and Firmiana platanifolia L.f. were prepared by our group [5,7]
Summary
With the gradual reduction of fossil fuels, people began to pay more and more attention to the use of alternative renewable energy derived from biomass [1,2]. Biodiesel is considered as an excellent substitute for fossil diesel, which can reduce greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions [3]. The main component of biodiesel is fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The main raw materials of biodiesel are vegetable oils, animal fat, and waste oils [5,6]. Cheaper raw materials have a great promotional effect on controlling the price of biodiesel. A variety of nonedible oils, such as Jatropha curcas, Euphorbia lathyris [5], Firmiana platanifolia [7], Xanthium sibiricum [8], and Koelreuteria integrifoliola [9], have been developed as raw materials to prepare biodiesel. Biodiesel is typically obtained by esterification and transesterification of raw materials in the presence of acid or base catalysts.
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