Esterification glycerol (by product in biodiesel production) with oleic acid using mordenite natural zeolite as catalyst: study of reaction temperature and catalyst loading effect

Abstract

In the heterogeneous system, reaction temperature and catalyst loading are very affected to the fluid diffusivities and molecular interaction in the active sites of catalyst. Theoritically, increasing both of them ensued to increases the chemical reaction rate. The aim of this research was to know how the effect of reaction temperature and catalyst loading to reaction rate in esterification of oleic acid with glycerol, based on oleic acid conversion result. The experiments were Carried out in a batch reactor by the reaction temperature from 160 to 200°C, catalyst loading of 0.5 to 2 wt% of solution, the reactants glycerol ratio of 3 mole / mole of oleic acid, reaction time of 80 minutes, agitation speed of 600 rpm, and mordernite natural zeolite as a catalyst. Observation result Showed that increasing the reaction temperature and catalyst loading were Accompanying by increases of oleic acid conversion. The highest conversion to reach at reaction temperature of 200°C and a catalyst loading of 2 wt% that was 75.09%.