Used Frying Oil Research Articles

Novel porphyrin photocatalyst intertwined with ionic liquid and sulfonic acid groups for facile photo-transesterification of used frying oil

Visible light mediated transesterification of Used Frying Oil (UFO) with novel porphyrin as recyclable photocatalyst was explored in a homemade photoreactor. Porphyrin photocatalyst intertwined with ionic liquid and sulfonic acid (PPcILS) was synthesized by reaction of 2-((4-formylbenzylidene)amino)-1sulfopyridin-1-ium chloride [B] and pyrrole (1:1 ratio) in AcOH under reflux condition. PPcILS photocatalyst was confirmed by various characterization techniques. Box-Behnken Design was utilized to determine the influence of photocatalytic reaction conditions: quantity of photocatalyst, duration, intensity of light, and molar ratio. The appreciable proton level (H0 = 0.9571) and lower energy band gap (1.25 eV) of PPcILS, verified by photo-transesterification of UFO (palm-oil) to biodiesel with 90.23 % yield under irradiation of 5 W LED, 20 mg photocatalyst and UFO: ethanol (01:10) molar ratio in 15 h. The physicochemical properties of B15-Blended-Diesel and commercial Diesel were found to be comparable. Likewise, engine performance, combustion, and emission parameters of B15-Blended-Diesel was found very close to neat Diesel.

The use of chitosan aerogels as an adsorbent for the regeneration of frying oil

One of the most commonly used food preparation methods is deep-fat frying. The improvement of the quality of used frying oil (UFO) is important because the reuse of frying oil could provide significant savings to the food industry. This study aimed to enhance the quality of used sunflower oil by using chitosan aerogels (CA), which can be considered as novel adsorbents with an increased surface area compared to chitosan powder. Aerogels are novel nanostructured materials with high porosity and large surface area. In this study, CA were produced by drying the 2% (w/v) chitosan gels using supercritical drying. In the study, 32 consecutive deep-fat frying were performed using potato slices in sunflower oil at 180 ± 5 °C. The effect of the adsorbent concentration (0.5, 1, and 2% (w/w)) and different adsorption temperatures (90, 135, and 180 °C) were studied by examining the UFO before and after the adsorption treatments. The physicochemical properties of the oil were analyzed by determining free fatty acid (FFA) content, total polar compounds (TPC), smoke point, p-anisidine value (p-AnV), and color (CIE L*, a*, b*). Moreover, the structural changes of aerogels after the adsorption process were investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). CA could reduce the % FFA values from 0.44% to 0.18% due to the ionic interaction between CA and FFA. In addition, TPC value and the smoke point increased after the treatments. The p-AnV was compensated with CA, indicating that secondary oxidation products were adsorbed. Moreover, CA caused a darker color after the adsorption treatments. Additionally, compared with magnesium silicate, the same concentrations of CA were found more effective in improving all the quality parameters of oil except for the L* values.

Study of the Viscosity and Specific Gravity of the Ternary Used Frying Oil (UFO)-Bioethanol-Diesel System

Study of the Viscosity and Specific Gravity of the Ternary Used Frying Oil (UFO)-Bioethanol-Diesel System

Formulation of Motor Oil from Blends of Rubber Latex Cup Bottom Oil (RLBO) and Used Frying Oil (UFO)

Formulation of Motor Oil from Blends of Rubber Latex Cup Bottom Oil (RLBO) and Used Frying Oil (UFO)

Synthesis of Biodiesel from Used Frying Oil Using Modified Banana Peel Waste as A Heterogeneous Catalyst

In this study, biodiesel was synthesised from a transesterification reaction of used frying oil (UFO) catalysed by modified banana peel waste (Modified-BPW). The catalyst properties were characterised using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses. The reaction parameters were varied to evaluate the optimal reaction parameters that could influence the biodiesel yield, such as methanol to oil molar ratio, catalyst loading amount and water content presence in the UFO at a fixed reaction time of 2 hours and a reaction temperature of 65°C. The catalytic activity resulted in the reaction condition of 12:1 of methanol to oil molar ratio, 1 wt.% of catalyst dosage and 0.5 wt.% water content in UFO, obtaining the highest biodiesel yield of 88.7%. The results indicated that the Modified-BPW could be a promising catalyst for biodiesel synthesis from UFO.
 Keywords: Biodisel, transesterification, used frying oil, banana peel waste and modified heterogeneous catalyst

Potency of Biodiesel Production from The Local Used Frying Oil Through The Electrocatalysis Method

The objective of this study was to optimize the operating conditions for an electrocatalytic method of producing biodiesel from local used frying oil (UFO). The effects of electrical voltages (5-30 V), methanol-to-oil molar ratios (4:1-8:1), KOH catalyst concentrations (0.5-1.25% w/w), and electrolysis time (30-120 min) on biodiesel yield were investigated. The highest biodiesel yield of 95.3% was obtained at a voltage of 30 V, methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 6:1, catalyst concentration of 1% w/w, and electrolysis time of 120 min. A regression model was developed to predict the optimum operating conditions, resulting in a maximum biodiesel yield of 95.54%. The predicted optimum operating conditions were a voltage of 24.4 V, methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 5.8:1, catalyst concentration of 1% w/w, and electrolysis time of 120 min. The net profit of the biodiesel business using local UFO as a feedstock was estimated to be IDR 738,000 per month based on a simple economic calculation. These findings demonstrate the potential for using electrocatalytic methods to produce biodiesel from local UFO, and the economic feasibility of producing biodiesel in small-scale industries.

CaO-MgFe2O4@K2CO3 as a novel and retrievable nanocatalyst for two-step transesterification of used frying oils to biodiesel

In this study, biodiesel was generated from used frying oil (UFO) in the presence of CaO-MgFe2O4 @K2CO3 as a novel and effective nanocatalyst. Structural and morphological properties of CaO, CaO-MgFe2O4, and CaO-MgFe2O4 @K2CO3 nanocatalysts were evaluated by EDX/SEM, BET, FTIR, TEM, DLS, VSM, and XRD analyses. Also, life cycle assessment and reaction mechanism were investigated. The utmost biodiesel yield using CaO and CaO-MgFe2O4 @K2CO3 nanocatalysts was acheived 93.55% and 96.53%, respectively, at a alcohol/oil ratio of 15:1 for CaO and 18:1 for CaO-MgFe2O4 @K2CO3, catalyst percentage of 4%, temperature of 70 °C, and reaction time of 5 h, which indicates a significant increase in the biodiesel yield of CaO-MgFe2O4 @K2CO3 compared to CaO. Also, physical features of biodiesel such as density, viscosity, flashpoint, cetane number, pour point and cloudpoint were 882 kg/m3, 4.4 mm2/s, 168 ºC, 58.82, 3 ºC and − 2 ºC, respectively, which are within international standards. Moreover, thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors of transesterification were studied and the results showed that the biodiesel generation process using CaO-MgFe2O4 @K2CO3 is endothermic (ΔH°= 61.9 kJ/mol) and non-spontaneous (ΔG°>0). The activation energy of the transesterification reaction was 64.62 kJ/mol, showing the significant potential of the catalyst in the transesterification reaction. Besides, the reusability of CaO-MgFe2O4 @K2CO3 nanocatalyst showed that it can be used in 4 reuse cycles with high biodiesel yield (>90%). Life cycle assessment showed that CaO-MgFe2O4 @K2CO3 has less negative impacts on the environment than common catalysts such as KOH and NaOH. Also, collecting UFO and using it in biodiesel generation helps to reduce environmental pollution.

Transesterification of used frying oil by activated banana peels waste catalyst for biodiesel production

This study aims to investigate the synthesis of biodiesel from used frying oil (UFO) catalyzed by activated banana peels waste (ABPW) catalyst. Raw banana peels waste (RBPW) was activated by phosphoric acid (H3PO4) via one step carbonization method. The activated catalyst was characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) method and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The performance of the catalyst was evaluated by varying the transesterification reaction parameters such as methanol to oil volume ratio, amount of catalyst dosage, reaction time and reaction temperature towards the percentage of biodiesel yield. SEM analysis showed both RBPW and ABPW have different morphologies where porous structure was observed before RBPW being activated by H3PO4 and non-porous structure was observed after RBPW being activated by H3PO4. Comparing the textural properties for both RBPW and ABPW, the prepared ABPW catalyst has higher surface area (10.33 m2/g) and adsorption average pore diameter (62.81 Å) compare to RBPW with 4.82 m2/g of surface area and 38.79 Å of adsorption average pore diameter. Furthermore, the different in the existence of the functional group for both materials also justified the activation of BPW by H3PO4 by the preparation method. From the catalytic activity results, the highest biodiesel yield of 85 % has been attained during 15:2 of methanol to oil volume ratio, 0.5 g of catalyst dosage, 90 min of reaction time at 90 °C. However, the result from GC–MS analysis shows that only methyl elaidate and methyl palmitate were found in the biodiesel product. Therefore, improvement need to be done towards the catalyst preparation method in term of its calcination process in the future to obtain a high quality of biodiesel with high composition of FAMEs in the product.

Adding n‐butanol, n‐heptanol, and n‐octanol to improve vaporization, combustion, and emission characteristics of diesel/used frying oil biodiesel blends in DICI engine

AbstractDiesel engines play a vital role in the transportation sector. Ternary blends of alcohol, biodiesel, and diesel have the potential to improve diesel engine combustion and emissions. In the current work, three different types of alcohols; n‐butanol, n‐heptanol, and n‐octanol were added to biodiesel/diesel blends to improve diesel engine performance, combustion, and emissions. The biodiesel was produced from used frying oil (UFO) by ultrasonic enhanced transesterification to achieve the highest yield, lowest viscosity, and minimum production time. Three ternary fuels containing 10 vol% (n‐butanol or n‐heptanol or n‐octanol), 10 vol% UFO biodiesel, and 80 vol% diesel were tested using diesel engine at 25%, 50%, and 75% load conditions. Thermogravimetric analysis of the ternary blends proved the enhancement in the vaporization characteristics compared with biodiesel and diesel fuels; the lighter the alcohol, the faster the vaporization rate but with longer ignition delay which enhanced the premixed burning mode. The specific fuel consumption increased by up to 6% with a slight reduction in thermal efficiency (≈1%) when n‐octanol was used while n‐butanol and n‐heptanol showed comparable values to neat diesel. Ternary blends showed a reduction in smoke opacity, NOx, CO, and CO2 by up to 38%, 11%, 35%, and 14% compared with diesel, while the lowest emissions were attained for the addition of n‐heptanol.

Detection of illegal additives in Brazilian S-10/common diesel B7/5 and quantification of Jatropha biodiesel blended with diesel according to EU 2015/1513 by MIR spectroscopy with DD-SIMCA and MCR-ALS under correlation constraint

This short communication presents a proper detection of illegal additives in Brazilian S-10/common diesel B7/5 using mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy and data driven soft independent modeling of class analogy (DD-SIMCA). The one-class classification chemometric model based on DD-SIMCA with MIR spectroscopic data was applied in the following analytical systems: (a) authentic Brazilian S-10 diesel B7 (BX is the amount of biodiesel blended) used as members of the unique target class and Brazilian S-10 diesel B7 adulterated by residual automotive lubricant oil (RALO) and residual solvent used in a dry wash (RSUDW) as non-members of the target class and (b) authentic Brazilian common diesel B5 used as a unique target class and Brazilian common diesel B5 adulterated by RALO, soybean oil and used frying oil (UFO) and contaminated with gasoline. DD-SIMCA model in data set described in (a) was able to properly classify all samples of Brazilian S-10 diesel B7 adulterated as non-members of the target class in the validation phase with a specificity of 100% and also all samples of authentic Brazilian S-10 diesel B7 were correctly accepted as members of the target class with test sensitivity equal 100%, although in the training phase one of the samples was rejected at 95% tolerance of the acceptance area, achieving training sensitivity equal 95%. In the data set described in (b) the modern DD-SIMCA model also achieved excellent results with 100% training sensitivity, test sensitivity and specificity. Finally, multivariate curve resolution-alternating least-squares (MCR-ALS) with the area correlation constraint and first-order MIR spectroscopic data was able to provide pure profiles such as: (i) concentration profiles allowed to quantify the amount of Jatropha biodiesels added in Brazilian S-10 diesel and (ii) spectral profiles allowed to identify the feedstock used in biodiesel production present in the biodiesel/diesel blend, which can provide further investigation for the European Union during the implementation of EU 2015/1513.

First Order Kinetics of Biodiesel Synthesis Using Used Frying Oil through Transesterification Reaction

This research aims to study the first-order kinetics of biodiesel production from used frying oil (UFO) through transesterification with methanol. Used frying oil was collected from fried peddlers around the campus of the University of Lampung. Technical grade methanol and NaOH catalyst were purchased from a local chemical supplier. The experiment was carried out with 100 ml of UFO at various combinations of oil to methanol molar ratio (1:4, 1:5, and 1:6), reaction temperatures(30 to 55oC, the ramping temperature of 5o C), and reaction time of 0.25 to 10 minutes. First-order kinetic was employed using 126 data pairs (87.5%). The acquired kinetic model was validated using 18 data sets (12.5%) observed at a reaction time of eight min. Results show that biodiesel yield was increased with reaction time, its molar ratio, and temperature. The maximum return of 78.44% was achieved at 55oC and molar ratio of 1:6. The kinetic analysis obtains the reaction rate constant (k) in the range of 0.045 to 0.130. The value of k increases with the reaction temperature and molar ratio. The analysis also reveals the average activation energy (Ea) of the UFO transesterification reaction with methanol and NaOH catalyst to be 21.59 kJ/mol. First-order kinetic is suitable to predict biodiesel yield from UFO because of low %RMSE (3.39%) and high R2 (0.8454

Production of value-added liquid fuel via microwave co-pyrolysis of used frying oil and plastic waste

The production of household wastes such as used frying oil (UFO) and plastic waste (PW) are increasing each year, thus representing potential feedstocks for conversion into an energy source. Microwave co-pyrolysis was investigated for its potential to transform a mixture of UFO and polyolefinic-based plastic waste into fuel product with desirable properties. The co-pyrolysis approach demonstrated positive synergistic effects in providing fast heating rate (up to 50 °C/min) and a lower reaction time (≤25 min), and generated up to 81 wt.% yield of liquid oil and 18 wt.% yield of pyrolysis gases for use as potential fuels. The liquid oil showed promising green properties comprising low oxygen content, free of nitrogen and sulphur and higher energy content (42–46 MJ/kg). The oil product also demonstrated improved stability and desirable fuel properties nearly similar to transport-grade diesel, thus indicating the great potential of microwave co-pyrolysis as an approach for transforming household wastes into value-added liquid fuel.

Efficient Detection of Edible Oils Adulterated with Used Frying Oils through PE-film-based FTIR Spectroscopy Combined with DA and PLS.

Edible oil adulteration has been a considerable problem worldwide, and rapid detection methods should be established. In this study, a validation method for edible oil adulterated with used frying oil (UFO) was introduced through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The spectral region of 6000-400 cm-1 was determined through FTIR by using a disposable polyethylene film, and absorption profiles at 1550-650 cm-1 region could be used for detection analysis. A qualitative analysis model was established through discriminant analysis, and edible oil adulteration with more than 1% content of UFO could be qualitatively analyzed. A quantitative analysis model was also created through partial least squares regression. When the actual value was more than 1.5%, the predicted and actual values showed good linear correlation. FTIR coupled with chemometric analysis is a useful tool to detect edible oil adulteration.

Suitability of used frying oil for co-processing with atmospheric gas oil

This work study the catalytic co-hydroprocessing of used frying oil (UFO) with atmospheric gas oil (AGO), paying particular attention to the effect of UFO on the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) efficiency, the products selectivities and its influence on fuel properties. Hydrotreating experiments were performed in a pilot plant for diesel hydrodesulphurization using a commercial catalyst of NiMo/Al2O3, temperature 320–350 °C, pressure 5.5 MPa, WHSV 2 h-1, UFO content 20–50 wt% and H2/feed ratio 500–1200 NL/L. At the operating conditions used, a total conversion of the triglycerides of UFO was obtained with a 96–99% sulfur elimination. This produced a slightly increase of the HDS/HDN rates during the co-processing, without irreversible effects over its activity and important variation in some properties such as cetane index, density 15 °C or kinematic viscosity 40 °C. The main products obtained were paraffins with 15 and 17 atoms of carbons and light gases such as CO2 and CH4, which imply that the catalyst used stimulates decarboxylation reactions in detriment of hydrodeoxygenation reactions.

Potential of used frying oil in paving material: solution to environmental pollution problem

The improper disposal of used frying oil (UFO) presents numerous ecological, environmental and municipal problems. Of great concern is the resultant blockage of municipal drainage systems and water treatment facilities, harm to wildlife when they become coated in it and detriment to aquatic life and ecosystems due to the depletion of the oxygen content in water bodies such as rivers and lakes that have become contaminated. Statistics show that in Trinidad and Tobago, in excess of one million liters of used cooking oil is collected annually from various restaurant chains. This paper investigated the potential of using UFO as a performance enhancing additive for road paving applications utilizing Trinidad Lake Asphalt (TLA) and Trinidad Petroleum Bitumen (TPB) as a mitigation strategy for improper UFO disposal. Modified blends containing various additions of UFO (2–10% wt) were prepared for the TLA and TPB asphaltic binders. Results demonstrated in terms of stiffness, increasing the dosage of UFO in TLA and TPB base binders resulted in a gradual decrease in stiffness (G* value decreased). In terms of elasticity, increasing the dosage of the UFO additive in TLA resulted in a general decrease in the elasticity of the blends indicated by an increase in phase angle or phase lag (δ). Increasing dosages of the UFO additive in TPB resulted in a significant decrease in δ where the most elastic blend was at the 6% UFO level. TLA and UFO-TLA modified blends exhibited significantly lower values of δ and higher values of G* confirming the superiority of the TLA material. Incorporation of the UFO in the blends led to a decrease in the rutting resistance and increase in the fatigue cracking resistance (decrease in G*/sinδ and G*sinδ, respectively). This study highlighted the potential for the reuse of UFO as an asphalt modifier capable of producing customized UFO modified asphaltic blends for special applications and confirms its feasibility as an environmentally attractive means of reusing the waste/hazardous UFO material locally.

Pyrolysis using microwave absorbents as reaction bed: An improved approach to transform used frying oil into biofuel product with desirable properties

Used frying oil (UFO), a waste produced in large volume each year worldwide, represents a potential resource for biofuel production rather than a disposal problem for modern society. Pyrolysis technique using microwave heating offers a promising approach for the conversion of UFO into biofuel products with improved properties. In this study, pyrolysis of UFO was performed by contacting with a bed of microwave absorbents heated by microwave radiation. The pyrolysis approach was examined using different materials as the reaction bed, comprising particulate carbon, activated carbon and mesoporous aluminosilicate (MCM-41). The use of particulate and activated carbon as the reaction bed provided a fast heating rate and extensive cracking capacity to pyrolyze the used oil, thus showing favorable features that could lead to short process time and less energy usage. This resulted in a production of a high yield of a biofuel product (up to 73 wt%) in a process taking less than 35 min. The biofuel showed a composition dominated by light C5-C20 aliphatic hydrocarbons with low amounts of oxygenated compounds (≤11%). In particular, the oil product obtained from activated carbon bed showed a low nitrogen content and was free of carboxylic acid and sulphur. The absence of carboxylic acids with low amounts of oxygenated compounds could reduce the formation of oxygenated by-products that could generate undesirable acidic tar or potentially hazardous sludge in the biofuel during storage. Combined with the detection of a high calorific value (46 MJ/kg) nearly comparable to diesel fuel, the biofuel shows great promise to be upgraded for use as a ‘cleaner’ fuel source with potentially reduced oxygenated by-products plus low or zero emissions of NOx and SOx during the use of the fuel in combustion process. This study also revealed that the use of activated carbon bed results in the highest energy recovery (88–90%) from the used frying oil. Our results demonstrated that the use of a microwave-heated reaction bed of activated carbon shows great potential as an improved and sustainable pyrolysis approach that is energy-efficient and timesaving for the recycling of used frying oil into a biofuel product with desirable properties. This pyrolysis approach provides an alternative to transesterification that avoids the use of solvents and catalysts, and thus could be developed further as a promising route to recycle various types of waste and biomass materials.

Monitoring of biodiesel content and adulterant presence in methyl and ethyl biodiesels of jatropha in blends with mineral diesel using MIR spectrometry and multivariate control charts

In this work, fast and efficient analytical methodologies were developed for quality monitoring of the content of jatropha methyl and ethyl biodiesels in blends with mineral diesel, and to monitor the presence of adulterants using mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometry allied to the method of multivariate control charts based on net analyte signal (NAS). The methodology of multivariate control charts consists of dividing the spectral signal of calibration samples into three vectors, namely NAS, interference and residual, generating three charts. The NAS chart monitors the quality of the analyte of interest in blends (biodiesel content, in this case), while the interference chart monitors the diesel quality, i.e., monitors the presence of adulterants or contaminants in the binary mixtures. The residual chart monitors the information or variations not modeled by the NAS and interference vectors. The validation of control charts in both models was done in two ways: (i) in relation to the biodiesel content in the biodiesel/diesel blends and (ii) in relation to the presence of contaminants in blends. In relation to the biodiesel content, sets of samples with biodiesel content in and out of control of the quality specifications were prepared for validation. In relation to the presence of adulterants, validation was performed by applying other sets of samples adulterated by the partial substitution of biodiesel in the blends by soybean oil and used frying oil (UFO) in the range of 0–30%, and by partial substitution of diesel by residual automotive lubricant oil (RALO) and gasoline, also in the range of 0–30%. The results of the application of multivariate control charts demonstrated satisfactory monitoring for the identification of samples of B7 blends in or out of quality specifications and identification of the presence of adulterants in blends. That is, the proposed methodologies correctly identified samples as in- or out-of-control. Therefore, the methodologies were shown to be effective for use by the supervisory board of such blends of these biofuels.

Synchronous front-face fluorescence spectroscopy for authentication of the adulteration of edible vegetable oil with refined used frying oil

Synchronous front-face fluorescence spectroscopy has been developed for the discrimination of used frying oil (UFO) from edible vegetable oil (EVO), the estimation of the using time of UFO, and the determination of the adulteration of EVO with UFO. Both the heating time of laboratory prepared UFO and the adulteration of EVO with UFO could be determined by partial least squares regression (PLSR). To simulate the EVO adulteration with UFO, for each kind of oil, fifty adulterated samples at the adulterant amounts range of 1–50% were prepared. PLSR was then adopted to build the model and both full (leave-one-out) cross-validation and external validation were performed to evaluate the predictive ability. Under the optimum condition, the plots of observed versus predicted values exhibited high linearity (R2>0.96). The root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) were both lower than 3%.

Small scale biodiesel synthesis from waste frying oil and crude methanol in Morocco

Biodiesel was produced at small scale by transesterification of used frying oil (UFO) recovered from Moroccan pastry shops and fish frying restaurants. Biodiesel was first synthesised at laboratory scale in order to optimize the transesterification parameters. The cost of the final product was also optimized using low-cost raw materials. The UFO and the produced biodiesel were characterized with several techniques including gas chromatography, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FTIR, and TGA–TDA techniques. 1H NMR gas chromatographic analyses of the final product confirmed that the transesterification in the chosen experimental conditions was completed. These results were confirmed by TGA–TDA analysis used as new techniques to monitoring triglyceride conversion. The biodiesel did not contain any trace of glycerol, and it did meet the international standards. The transesterification at low cost in small scale conditions was performed at 60°C using 1.2% of KOH and a methanol/oil molar ratio of 6:1. A yield of 80.8% was achieved. The properties of the produced biodiesel were found to be as good as those of biodiesels obeying to European standards. The biodiesel production was also performed at small-scale for individual utilisation. Thus, the product was tested in a kerosene stove for heating and non-modified commercial diesel engine producing electricity.

Palm Frond and Spikelet as Environmentally Benign Alternative Solid Acid Catalysts for Biodiesel Production

A carbonization-sulfonation method was utilized in synthesizing sulfonated mesoporous catalysts from palm tree biomass. Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and field emission scanning emission microscopy (FE-SEM) analyses were used to evaluate the structural and textural properties of the catalysts. Further, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and titrimetric analyses measured the strong acid value and acidity distribution of the materials. These analyses indicated that the catalysts had large mesopore volume, large surface area, uniform pore size, and high acid density. The catalytic activity exhibited by esterifying used frying oil (UFO) containing high (48%) free fatty acid (FFA) content further indicated these properties. All catalysts exhibited high activity, with sPTS/400 converting more than 98% FFA into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). The catalyst exhibited the highest acid density, 1.2974 mmol/g, determined by NaOH titration. This is outstanding considering the lower reaction parameters of 5 h, 5:1 methanol-to-oil ratio, and a moderate temperature range between 100 and 200 °C. The study further illustrates the prospect of converting wastes into highly efficient, benign, and recyclable solid acid catalysts.