Sulphated Zr–Al2O3 catalysts through jatropha oil to green-diesel production

Abstract

Composite materials of zirconia–alumina (Zr–Al2O3) with Al/Zr 10 ratio was successfully synthesized by sol–gel method and followed by different sulfiding methods. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by various techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), N2-sorption, NH3-Temperature Programmed Desorption (NH3-TPD), Diffuse Reflectance UV–Vis Spectrophotometers (DR UV–Vis), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and the biodiesel was analyzed by Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The jatropha oil conversion of above 96% was obtained at optimized conditions of 110 °C, 1:20 jatropha oil to methanol ratio, 1.5 g of catalysts and 3 h reaction time. The catalysts reusability study was performed for 6th cycles using sulphated Zr–Al2O3 under hydrothermal (H) method, denoted as SO42−/Zr–Al2O3 (10)–H and the activity is correlated with physico-chemical properties.