if anyone working in biodiesel topic , please suggest me new idea of heterogeneous catalyst for transesterification process.
Acid-catalyzed esterification can be used to treat fatty acids with alcohol to produce biodiesel. Other methods, such as fixed-bed reactors, supercritical reactors, and ultrasonic reactors, forgo or decrease the use of chemical catalysts.
The enzymes catalysts are promising now a days. Enzymes like
Chlorella vulgaris and Candida cylindracaehave reported 100% conversion of oils to biodiesel.
This will help you to develop your new idea.
Dear Chingakham,
the catalyst we used in university and later on in full size plants is NaOH. Disadvantages are known.
Maybe this review article helps:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1226086X1200233X
and also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel_production
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382009000629
so I would say it depends on the quality of the feedstock
best regards
Johannes
Base catalysts like alkali or alkaline earth oxides, supported alkali metals, basic zeolites.
clays based Base catalysts such as hydrotalcites, and immobilised organic bases.
Alkali doped Calcium, magnesium, cadmium and lithium can be used.
Activated carbon, oxides of Calcium and magnesium, Mg(CO3) and Ca(CO3)
ketonisation catalysts like Fe2O3, Al2O3, and SiO2 can be used.
Hope if these could help.
Dear Chingakham,
Your question covers a very large domain as choice of catalyst depends on the feedstock selected. On the basis of feedstock, one can go for acid or base catalyst. Otherwise, the oldest catalysts are homogeneous catalysts, and heterogeneous catalysts came later on. If you look at the latest developments in catalysts, you will see that the newest work is being reported on bimetallic heterogeneous catalysts, Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs), etc.
Further, without knowledge of specific feedstock, it is difficult to designate a catalyst as best, etc.
Yes, definitely the choice of the catalyst depends on the type and quality of the feedstock. but recently, the catalyst supported on the solid matrix are widely used for transesterification process. However, the cost of the catalyst support and the life span are the key issues while designing of the catalyst. For the development of an effective and green catalyst carbon derived from waste materials could be a prominent support. Moreover, the carbonaceous support are more effective due to its relative chemical inertness, good electron conductivity, and low production cost. The carbon materials have shown good stability and effectivity in transesterification reaction. However, recently sulfonated carbon nanotubes and metal functionalized carbon nanohorns are reported to be the good catalyst. The bimetallic catalysts or bifunctional catalyst also been under focus for transesterification reaction.
For detail information regarding carbon supported catalysts you can go through my papers.
Thanking you
Sumit
