Methanolysis of Castor Oil Catalysed by Solid Potassium and Cesium Salts of 12-Tungstophosphoric Acid

Abstract

Methanolysis of castor oil to methyl esters, a key step in Biodiesel production, was studied with the use of KOH, H2SO4 and 12-tungstophosphoric acid (H3PW12O40, HPW) as the homogeneous catalysts. Reaction was also performed in the presence of solid salts of HPW, namely M x H3−x PW12O40, where M = K or Cs and x = 2, 2.5 and 3 (abbreviated as K2, K2.5, K3 and Cs2, Cs2.5, Cs3, respectively). The HPW salts were precipitated by K2CO3 and Cs2CO3 or CsCl. Their properties were characterized by BET, electron microscopy (SEM, EDS) and colloidal particles size distribution (laser diffraction technique). The potassium doped HPW samples, K2 and K2.5, prove to be much more active catalysts (ca. 3 times) than their Cs-containing analogues. Among the K, Cs salts, K2 salt was the most active catalyst. The activity of catalysts was found to depend on preparation stages such as the temperature of drying or annealing and aging of the samples. Microscopic studies evidenced colloidal form of Cs and K salts particles under the catalytic reaction. The size of colloidal particles was found to depend upon the type of cation, Cs+ or K+, as well as the “history” of catalysts preparation (temperature of drying). Based on the results obtained in this work, we concluded that activity was determined by the accessibility of the reactants to acid sites which is facilitated by the high surface area and open structure of the colloidal form. This may lead to better utilization of acid sites and higher activity of samples with lower content of K+ or Cs+ cations in the HPW.