Hours Of Reaction Time Research Articles

Fast biodiesel production via potassium ferrate catalysis at room temperature using refined coconut oil and vegetable oil

Abstract Traditionally, the transesterification reaction for biodiesel production takes place at elevated temperatures, around 60-65°C, for up to two hours of reaction time, entailing a high energy consumption. As the University of the Philippines Los Baños – Interdisciplinary Biofuels Research Studies Center (UPLB-IBRSC) continuously aims to conduct studies on improving process efficiencies in biofuels production, this research investigated the potential of potassium ferrate as a catalyst for fast biodiesel production at room temperature. Particularly, the catalytic activity of potassium ferrate in the transesterification of refined coconut oil and vegetable oil was examined. The effects of the parameters such as methanol-to-oil molar ratio, catalyst loading, and reaction time on biodiesel yield and purity were studied. Thin layer chromatography, with the aid of ImageJ software, was applied to analyze the purity of the biodiesel through the developed spots’ area estimation. Characterization experiments in terms of free fatty acid (FFA) content and acid value were performed to confirm the low FFA content of the feedstocks prior to transesterification. Results of the parametric and optimization study revealed that a biodiesel yield of 87.67% using vegetable oil was experimentally achieved at the optimum conditions of 6.75 wt% catalyst loading, 6:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, and 30 minutes reaction time. Using coconut oil, on the other hand, resulted in a higher biodiesel yield of 94.90% at a catalyst loading of 6 wt%, a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 6:1, and a reaction time of 60 minutes. Generally, findings show that catalyst loading has a positive effect on biodiesel yield and purity only up to a certain optimum amount. Among all the parameters analyzed, the methanol-to-oil molar ratio was found to have the most significant effect as an individual factor. Given the results of this study, it can be concluded that the potassium ferrate-catalyzed transesterification reaction at room temperature can potentially reduce the energy consumption in biodiesel production and the production cost in general.

Fast biodiesel production via potassium ferrate catalysis at room temperature using used cooking oil and refined canola oil

Abstract As biodiesel is continuously aimed to be a better alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuel, the University of the Philippines Los Baños – Interdisciplinary Biofuels Research Studies Center (UPLB-IBRSC) continues to explore process conversion techniques to improve efficiencies in biodiesel production. In this study, the catalytic activity of potassium ferrate in the transesterification of canola oil and used cooking oil for biodiesel production at room temperature was examined for potential reduction in energy consumption. Parameters such as methanol-to-oil molar ratio, catalyst loading, and reaction time were varied to determine their effects on biodiesel yield and purity. Thin layer chromatography was applied to qualitatively analyze the biodiesel, while ImageJ software was used for purity determination. The characterization analysis confirmed that the refined canola oil used in the study has an acceptable FFA content of 0.06%. On the other hand, the used cooking oil showed an FFA content of 3.71%, which is beyond the desired limit of 2%. Hence, neutralization through the addition of potassium hydroxide was performed, resulting in a lowered FFA content of 0.86%. Experimental results of the parametric and optimization study on used cooking oil showed that an optimum conversion of 86.55% was achieved at a 2:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, 5 wt% catalyst loading, and 90 minutes reaction time. Consequently, a yield of 83.21% was attained using refined canola oil at the optimum conditions of 6:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, 3 wt% catalyst loading, and 69 minutes reaction time. Generally, findings show that catalyst loading and reaction time significantly affect the biodiesel yield and purity only up to a certain optimum value. The methanol-to-oil ratio, on the other hand, showed to have a significant inverse relationship on yield and purity. Compared to the typical biodiesel production process at 60 °C with up to two hours of reaction time, this study which describes a catalytic process at room temperature and a relatively shorter reaction time, showed the potential to reduce significantly the high energy consumption in biodiesel production.

Photocatalytic activity of XInS2 (X: Ag, Cu) nanoparticles for oxidative desulfurization of diesel fuel

In this work, Ag(Cu)InS2 semiconductor nanoparticles were synthesized via microwave and solvothermal methods. The effects of synthetical parameters on the structure and morphology of the nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, UV–Vis, and EDX. The experimental results reveal that the AgInS2 compound can be crystallized in two different phases, which are tetragonal and orthorhombic. The nanoparticles size of AgInS2 is about 15-16 nm and the direct band gap energy (Eg) of 2.041. While CuInS2 has the average particle size of around 25 nm and Eg value of 3.38 eV. The catalytic activity of both AgInS2 and CuInS2 materials were performed for photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization of sulfur compounds in the commercial diesel fuel under visible light. The maximum oxidation efficiency of 98.05% was achieved for AgInS2 catalyst after 8 hours of reaction time.

Morphology Controled LiFePO4 Electrodes Via Polyol Refluxing for Enhanced Lithium-Ion Battery Performance

In the synthesis of LiFePO4 cathodes with secondary nanorod structures and nano-plate morphologies, researchers utilized a polyol refluxing process. Notably, we achieved this without the use of characteristic structure directing agents. Through varying the reaction time, they were able to modulate the morphological characteristics of the synthesized samples.X-ray diffraction studies conducted on the prepared samples indicated a highly crystalline nature. This suggests that the synthesized cathodes possessed a robust and ordered atomic structure, which is crucial for their electrochemical performance.Electron microscopy investigations provided insights into the morphology of the samples obtained at different reaction times. Samples produced after 1 to 16 hours of polyol reaction exhibited secondary nanorod bundles. However, the sample recovered after 32 hours of polyol reaction displayed a distinct nano-plate morphology. These observations highlight the influence of reaction time on the final morphology of the synthesized cathodes.The dimensions of the obtained samples ranged from a few tens to a few hundred nanometers. This nano-scale size is advantageous for enhancing the electrode's surface area, which can facilitate rapid ion diffusion and electron transport during battery cycling.When employed in lithium test cells, the LiFePO4 cathodes synthesized for different durations delivered varying discharge capacities. Specifically, cathodes prepared under 1, 4, 8, 16, and 32 hours of reaction time exhibited discharge capacities of 161, 162, 171, 143, and 155 mAhg−1, respectively. Notably, all samples displayed a well-defined discharge plateau at 3.4 V, indicating stable electrochemical behavior during cycling.Remarkably, among the prepared electrodes, the LiFePO4 nanorod bundle cathode synthesized under 1 hour reaction time demonstrated the highest average reversible capacities. It maintained capacities of 123 and 103 mAhg−1 at C-rates as high as 3.2 and 6.4 C, respectively. This highlights the importance of reaction time in controlling the electrochemical performance of the synthesized cathodes.The crystal growth mechanism during the polyol refluxing method can be elucidated through several stages. These include precursor dissolution and nucleation, oriented crystal growth and alignment through self-assembly, aggregation, partial dissolution, and finally, complete re-crystallization. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for optimizing the synthesis process and tailoring the properties of LiFePO4 cathodes for various applications. Tarascon JM, Armand M. Issues and challenges facing rechargeable lithium batteries. Nature 2001;414:359–67Amatucci GG, Tarascon JM, Klein LC. CoO2, the end member of the LixCoO2 solid solution. J Electrochem Soc 1996;143:1114–23Ravet N, Chouinard Y, Magnan JF, Besner S, Gauthier M, Armand M. Electroactivity of natural and synthetic triphylite. J Power Sources 2001;97–98:503–7 Figure 1

Solvent‐Free Efficient Hydrogenation of Levulinic Acid over Silicotungstic Acid Promoting the Activity of CuNiAl Catalysts: A Synergistic Effect

AbstractMulti‐metallic catalysts rely on the synergistic effect between metals to perform better catalytic effect in biomass hydrogenation experiments compared with mono‐metallic catalysts. A series of CuNiAl composite metal oxide catalysts promoted by silicotungstic acid (HSiW), which were prepared by co‐precipitation and impregnation methods, were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), N2‐physisorption, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and NH3 program temperature desorption (NH3‐TPD) and pyridine infrared adsorption (Py‐FTIR). Their catalytic performance was evaluated in the hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to prepare γ‐valerolactone (GVL). The results showed that the addition of Cu could improve the hydrogenation activity of Ni, and the addition of HSiW could further increase the amount of acid sites in the catalysts. Both of them could enhance the conversion of LA to some extent. CuNiAl‐5SiW, the par excellence catalyst, relied on the synergistic interactions between metals as well as the Brønsted and Lewis acid active sites to show efficient hydrogenation performance. The CuNiAl‐5SiW catalyst demonstrated 96.9 % conversion of LA and more than 99 % selectivity to GVL under 2 hours of reaction time, 180 °C of reaction temperature, 3.0 MPa of initial hydrogen pressure and solvent‐free conditions.

Experiments and kinetic modeling of the sorbitol dehydration to isosorbide catalyzed by sulfuric acid under conditions of non-constant volume

Isosorbide is a novel bio-based material, derived as a secondary dehydration product of sorbitol. This work focuses on the kinetics of sulfuric acid-catalyzed dehydration of sorbitol under conditions of non-constant volume. Herein, the effects of stirring rate, catalyst dosage, reaction temperature, and reaction time on the dehydration reaction of sorbitol were investigated. The yield of isosorbide up to 77.13% was obtained after 1.5 hours of reaction time under conditions of 2 kPa, 1.0% (mass) catalyst dosage, and 413.15 K. Based on the sorbitol dehydration reaction mechanism and a simplified reaction network, a kinetic model was developed in this work. A good agreement was accomplished between kinetic modeling and experiments between 393.15 and 423.15 K. The fitting results indicate that side reactions with higher activation energy are more affected by reaction temperatures, and the main side reaction that influences the selectivity of isosorbide is the oligomerization reaction among the primary dehydration products of sorbitol. The model fitting of the catalyst amounts effect shows that the effective concentration of sulfuric acid would be reduced with the increase of dosage due to the molecular agglomeration effect. Hopefully, the kinetic experiments and modeling results obtained in this work will be helpful to the design and optimization of the industrial sorbitol dehydration process.

Assessment and kinetic study of the upfront nitrogen removal using lithium cycle

This research work aims to investigate the feasibility of lithium cycle (Li-Cy) as an upfront removal technology (UNR) to remove nitrogen (N2) from the natural gas (NG). Nitridation experiments conducted at 60, 80 and 100 °C showed the middle temperature to be the optimal condition for operation, yielding lithium conversion and nitrogen uptake rate of up to 80 % and 19 mmol/g, respectively. The optimum reaction and Li-moisture treatment times were found to be 0.5 and 2 hours (F: 0.1 L/min, P: 1 atm). Meanwhile, hydrolysis trials proved using steam as a water source to react with lithium nitride (Li3N) quickly and convert 98 % of solid particles into lithium hydroxide (LiOH) after 2 hours of reaction time. Kinetic model fitting led to an areic reactivities of growth of approximately 0.202 and 125 mol.m−2.min for the nitridation and hydrolysis reactions, respectively. Experimental results proven that high nitrogen uptake rates could be achieved under practical experimental setting. The consumed sorbent’s regeneration is not only possible but also potentially economically attractive. This could be a crucial step in commercialization of UNR technologies in baseload LNG plants in Qatar.

MOF‐derived Ni‐WxC/carbon catalysts: Application to cellulose conversion into glycols

In this work, a series of Ni‐WxC/carbon materials have been prepared from a MOF precursor, DUT‐8(Ni), following different tungsten deposition routes. After pyrolysis, nickel‐tungsten alloys and tungsten carbide phases over nitrogen‐doped carbons were obtained. These materials were applied to cellulose hydrogenolysis, where molar yields of up to 46% in ethylene glycol (EG) and 9% in propylene glycol (PG) were obtained at 245 °C after 1 hour of reaction time. The best performing catalyst demonstrated promising stability, as the EG yield remained constant over 3 recycling tests and very little nanoparticles sintering was observed.

Novel pyrrole-chromone based chalcones: Synthesis and their anti-breast cancer activity: An in-silico study

Newer Pyrrole-Chromones Chalcones (I–VII) were prepared by a simple method. among the series of compounds, compound −1 which was synthesized with 30 % of NaOH solution, at temperature of 60–65 °C with twelve hours of reaction time resulted in good yield. While, the other compounds under same and varying conditions resulted in less yield. Existing reports showed that this group of compounds showed insulysin inhibition, interleukin antagonist, and membrane integrity agonist activities. The proteins EGFR and HER-2 which are over expressed in breast cancer, in In silico studies with the titled compounds showed strong binding affinity when compared to the standard drug tamoxifen, which clearly indicate that these compounds possess anti-breast cancer activity. Hence, it can be concluded that these compounds has the potential to develop as anti-breast cancer drugs.

Optimization and Characterization of Biochar Obtained from the Weedy Biomass of Calotropis gigantea Using Vacuum Pyrolysis

The excessive growth of invasive weeds causes adverse economic and environmental effects. In the present study, invasive weed Calotropis gigantea was pyrolyzed under optimized parameters of 450° and 50-100 mm particle size for 1.00 hour of reaction time for biochar production. The biochar was characterized by the presence of a high carbon content of 64.65% and low H/C and O/C molar ratios of 0.08 and 0.15, respectively. The biochar was observed with high surface area of 99.91m2/g and pore volume of 0.0398cm3/g along with mineral fractions such as K-1.33%, Na-1.17%, Mg-1.05%. Strong FTIR bands were observed at 1994.1 cm-1, 1110 cm-1, and 745 cm-1, representing allenes (R 2C=C=CR 2), aryl alkyl ethers (R – O – R), and aromatic (C–H) bending. All these parameters indicate its potential in the applications such as carbon sequestration, climate change mitigation, environment pollutants adsorption (both organic and inorganic), and soil improvement.

Solar enhanced oxygen evolution reaction with transition metal telluride.

The photo-enhanced electrocatalytic method of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) shows promise for enhancing the effectiveness of clear energy generation through water splitting by using renewable and sustainable source of energy. However, despite benefits of photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting, its uses are constrained by its low efficiency as a result of charge carrier recombination, a large overpotential, and sluggish reaction kinetics. Here, we illustrate that Nickel telluride (NiTe) synthesized by hydrothermal methods can function as an extremely effective photo-coupled electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (POER) catalyst. In this study, NiTe was synthesized by hydrothermal method at 145°C within just an hour of reaction time. In dark conditions, the NiTe deposited on carbon cloth substrate shows a small oxygen evolution reaction overpotential (261mV) at a current density of 10mA cm-2, a reduced Tafel slope (65.4mV dec-1), and negligible activity decay after 12h of chronoamperometry. By virtue of its enhanced photo response, excellent light harvesting ability, and increased interfacial kinetics of charge separation, the NiTe electrode under simulated solar illumination displays exceptional photoelectrochemical performance exhibiting overpotential of 165mV at current density of 10mA cm-2, which is about 96mV less than on dark conditions. In addition, Density Functional Theory investigations have been carried out on the NiTe surface, the results of which demonstrated a greater adsorption energy for intermediate -OH on the catalyst site. Since the -OH adsorption on the catalyst site correlates to catalyst activation, it indicates the facile electrocatalytic activity of NiTe owing to favorable catalyst activation. DFT calculations also revealed the facile charge density redistribution following intermediate -OH adsorption on the NiTe surface. This work demonstrates that arrays of NiTe elongated nanostructure are a promising option for both electrochemical and photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation and offers broad suggestions for developing effective PEC devices.

Fly ash utilization as support of nano zinc oxide composite catalyst for methanolysis of kapok (Ceiba Pentandra) seed oil

This study focuses on developing a nano zinc oxide (ZnO) catalyst with fly ash (FA) as a support material for converting kapok seed oil (KSO) into biodiesel. This research aims to study the preparation of nano ZnO/FA solid catalysts and the catalyst's reactivity towards kapok seed oil biodiesel (KSOB) products. The catalysts were synthesized using a modification of the Stober process, which is the co-precipitation, impregnation, and precipitation step co-occurred. The catalyst is prepared on base condition using sodium hydroxide with a solvent of methanol and zinc chloride as a raw material. FA waste was effectively modified with zinc oxide particles to create a high-performance ZnO/FA composite catalyst. Under optimal stoichiometric NaOH and 60% ZnO, the resulting material achieved a remarkable specific surface area of 14.8 m²/gram, indicating its potential for enhanced catalytic activity. The prepared catalyst of nano ZnO/FA achieved successful methanolysis of KSO, with a maximum FAME yield of 61.09% attained at 65°C after 5 hours of reaction time, using a 3% catalyst dose and a KSO: methanol molar ratio of 1:15. The initial success of nano ZnO/FA with kapok seed oil paves the way for further development towards robust catalysts specifically tailored for low-grade oil conversion.

Mechanistic insights into the co-recovery of nickel and iron via integrated carbon mineralization of serpentinized peridotite by harnessing organic ligands.

The rising need to produce a decarbonized supply chain of energy critical metals with inherent carbon mineralization motivates advances in accelerating novel chemical pathways in a mechanistically-informed manner. In this study, the mechanisms underlying co-recovery of energy critical metals and carbon mineralization by harnessing organic ligands are uncovered by investigating the influence of chemical and mineral heterogeneity, along with the morphological transformations of minerals during carbon mineralization. Serpentinized peridotite is selected as the feedstock, and disodium EDTA dihydrate (Na2H2EDTA·2H2O) is used as the organic ligand for metal recovery. Nickel extraction efficiency of ∼80% and carbon mineralization efficiency of ∼73% is achieved at a partial pressure of CO2 of 50 bars, reaction temperature of 185 °C, and 10 hours of reaction time in 2 M NaHCO3 and 0.1 M Na2H2EDTA·2H2O. Extensive magnesite formation is evidence of the carbon mineralization of serpentine and olivine. An in-depth investigation of the chemo-morphological evolution of the CO2-fluid-mineral system during carbon mineralization reveals several critical stages. These stages encompass the initial incongruent dissolution of serpentine resulting in a Si-rich amorphous layer acting as a diffusion barrier for Mg2+ ions, subsequent exfoliation of the silica layer to expose unreacted olivine, and the concurrent formation of magnesite. Organic ligands such as Na2H2EDTA·2H2O aid the dissolution and formation of magnesite crystals. The organic ligand exhibits higher stability for Ni-complex ions than the corresponding divalent metal carbonate. The buffered environment also facilitates concurrent mineral dissolution and carbonate formation. These two factors contribute to the efficient co-recovery of nickel with inherent carbon mineralization to produce magnesium carbonate. These studies provide fundamental insights into the mechanisms underlying the co-recovery of energy critical metals with inherent carbon mineralization which unlocks the value of earth abundant silicate resources for the sustainable recovery of energy critical metals and carbon management.

Enhancing the catalytic properties of silicalite-1 through ammonium fluoride modification for waste glycerol acetalization.

Silicalite-1 is a silica with a zeolitic MFI (Mobil Five) structure devoid of noticeable catalytically active (e.g., acid) sites. In this study, we present its modification with NH4F solutions of varying concentrations (0.5-3 M), which generates efficient and selective acid sites for the acetalization of glycerol with acetone towards solketal (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol). The creation of acid sites is attributed to the partial elimination of external silanol groups in silicalite-1 and the generation of some framework defects, resulting also in increased porosity. The characterization of the modified materials was performed using various techniques, i.e. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (TPD-NH3), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results demonstrate that the newly created acidic sites of Brønsted and Lewis nature exhibit significantly higher acidic strength and enhanced accessibility for reagents compared to the pristine one, resulting in exceptional glycerol conversion in the acetalization of glycerol with acetone and notable selectivity towards solketal. Glycerol conversion over modified silicalite-1 reached nearly 70%, with the selectivity to solketal exceeding 98% at 70° C after 1 hour of reaction time, using a mixture of glycerol and acetone in a 1 : 1 ratio. The proposed reaction mechanism takes into account a combination of Brønsted and Lewis acid sites. The obtained results indicated that Brønsted acid sites, especially those of higher strength, are the most beneficial in this process. The remarkable catalytic performance and stability of modified silicalite-1 make it a promising candidate for potential industrial applications in the utilization of waste glycerol formed in the biofuel industry.

Gold nanoparticles−supported Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets for enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is being widely researched and developed because it is a favorable alternative to fossil fuels to produce renewable energy. The prominent development in HER is to construct an efficient electrocatalyst aside from Pt-based catalysts, with low economic cost. In this study, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) supported MXene (Ti3C2Tx) was designed to enhance the performance of a HER electrocatalyst. The preparation of Au NPs-supported MXene was confirmed by XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-Vis DRS. The addition of Au NPs in the MXene structure is believed to improve its catalytic performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The catalytic performance data of Au/MXene exhibits a better result than non-modified MXene, with a lower overpotential (179.9 mV), onset potential (87.6 mV), Tafel slope (91 mV/dec), and a higher ECSA value (54 cm2), with excellent electrocatalyst stability after ten hours of reaction time. Furthermore, the Tafel slope data of Au/MXene indicated the reaction was using the Volmer-Heyrovsky path, with the rate-determining stage being that of the Heyrovsky mechanism. The increased activity as an electrocatalyst in HER was assigned to the synergetic effect between Au nanoparticles and MXene structures, which results in high-conductivity materials with enhanced ion diffusion and charge transfer.

Study and Synthesis of Bio-fuel from Jatropha Vegetable Oil

Abstract: This work has been carried out to produce biodiesel and inspect how the production from Jatropha seeds oil, methanol and using a catalyst as Potassium iodide Aluminium oxide (KI Al2O3). This Methodology dried jatropha seeds ware used. This seed oil is extracted from the jatropha seed by applying the Soxhlet extraction method with methanol as the organic solvent and screw-type mechanical expeller. In the oil free fatty acid content of jatropha seeds oil was 0. 800.i.e.is ≤ 2. After using the transesterification process and the ratio of methanol: oil ratio was 12:1, 0.5 g of catalyst and temperature of the reaction was 60 °C for 4 hours of reaction time with stirring at 600 rpm. The cloud point was 7°C. The pour point was 2°C, density was 0.38 g/cm3 and flash point was 155 °C.

Transient numerical simulation of heat recovery coke oven based on chemical percolation devolatilization model

ABSTRACT The actual coking engineering challenge is changed into a numerical simulation calculation problem due to the difficulty in monitoring the parameters of the heat recovery coke furnace. The release law of coal volatiles is calculated using the chemical percolation devolatilization (CPD) model in this study. To explore the distribution properties of the temperature field and flow field in the furnace as well as the burning condition of the surface of the coal cake, the user-defined function (UDF) is coupled with the porous medium model, and the transient condition simulation is carried out. The accuracy of the model is verified by comparing the temperature values at different times with the actual parameters. According to the calculations, the fuel burns more fully when the equivalency ratio is close to 1, and that the flame propagation speed increases with combustion temperature. When the bulk density is 1100 kg/m3 and the air input velocity is 13.3 m/s, the reaction lasts for 15 hours and the emission of volatiles is very minimal, resulting in a poor combustion reaction. The coal cake surface’s major temperature range is 1200 K to 1400 K after 30 hours of reaction time, which is beneficial to accelerate the maturation of coke. The coal cake surface’s temperature distribution at 45 and 60 hours is lower than that of the coke. Additionally, an increase in air and flame propagation velocity can strengthen furnace disturbance, enhance the temperature and velocity distribution uniformity, hasten coke ripening, and enhance coke quality.

Mild and selective catalytic oxidation of 5-HMF to 2,5-FDCA over metal loaded biomass derived graphene oxide using hydrogen peroxide in aqueous media

Biomass-derived graphene oxide-supported metal catalysts (Ru@S-GO, Pd@ S-GO, and Pd/Ru@ S-GO) were produced in a tube furnace with a metal loading of 1 weight percent. All the synthesised nano catalysts were well characterised by XRD, FESEM-EDS, ICP-OES, XPS and FTIR, and applied for the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) to 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Hydrogen peroxide was utilized as the liquid oxidant due to its reduced mass transfer resistance. 5-HMF used in this study was also obtained from biomass. All the operational parameters, such as temperature of the reaction, amount of oxidant, base concentration, and catalyst loading were optimized using Response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD). Ru@S-GO was found to have greater activity and selectivity towards FDCA under benign reaction conditions, and complete conversion of 5-HMF to 2,5-FDCA was accomplished (98.8% yield) over 5 hours of reaction time in an aqueous medium with a lower catalyst loading and reduced metal content.

Production of Biokerosene Hydrocarbons using Coconut Oil with CoO-NiO/Kaolin Catalyst via Solvent-free and Inert Atmosphere Catalytic Deoxygenation

Concerns on the depletion of fossil fuel and emissions of harmful gases lead to the search for alternative aviation fuel. The present study demonstrates the production of biokerosene hydrocarbons from coconut oil via solvent-free catalytic deoxygenation under inert Nitrogen (N2) atmosphere. The deoxygenated product is examined through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis to determine its chemical composition and hydrocarbons distribution. CoO-NiO/Kaolin catalyst was used along with several other catalysts to study the reactivity of different catalysts in catalytic deoxygenation. Coconut oil is composed of middle-chain saturated fatty acids (capric acid, lauric acid, and myristic acid) which are favorable for the conversion into biokerosene hydrocarbons due to their carbon chain length. In terms of the types of catalyst, CoO-NiO/Kaolin proves to be the best catalyst with optimum selectivity of biokerosene hydrocarbons at 83.4%. A parametric study was executed on coconut oil using CoO-NiO/Kaolin, and the result indicated that the optimum reaction conditions are 330 oC, 2 hours of reaction time, and 5 wt.% of catalyst. The biokerosene hydrocarbons produced have the likelihood to be the drop-in substitutes for aviation fuel.

Synthesis and Characterization of Physically Mixed V2O5.CaO as Bifunctional Catalyst for Methyl Ester Production from Waste Cooking Oil

Synthesis of the solid bifunctional vanadium-calcium mixed oxides catalyst was accomplished by application of a simple physical mixing approach. In this work, we compared the catalytic activity of CaO and 2%V2O5.CaO catalyst. Various characterization methods, such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), BET surface area, and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of CO2 and NH3, were involved in studying the newly synthesized catalysts. The presence of CaO, CaCO3, and Ca(OH)2 compounds in the synthesized catalyst were detected by XRD and FTIR analysis. The existence of 2% V2O5 on the CaO catalyst surface was demonstrated by XRF analysis. From TPD-NH3, TPD-CO2, and BET surface area analysis, it was known that the 2% V2O5-CaO catalyst had a higher total number of acid-base sites and surface area than the CaO catalyst. In the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) production from waste cooking oil (WCO) with higher free fatty acid (FFA), CaO could only catalyze the transesterification reaction. In contrast, 2%V2O5-CaO could successfully catalyze both the esterification of FFA and the transesterification of triglyceride (TG) simultaneously in a one-step reaction process. Thus, these results prove that 2%V2O5.CaO can act as a bifunctional catalyst in the production of biodiesel from WCO. Moreover, the synthesized 2%V2O5.CaO catalyst could achieve a maximum FAME yield of 51.30% under mild reaction conditions, including a 20:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, 60 °C reaction temperature, 1 wt% of catalyst loading, and 3 hours of reaction time.