Transesterification of soybean oil with methanol on alumina-supported CaO catalysts modified with MgO or ZnO

MARISA B. NAVAS; JOSÉ F. RUGGERA; MÓNICA L. CASELLA

Anales de la Asociación Química Argentina

Asociación Química Argentina

Lugar: CABA; Año: 2019 vol. 106 p. 70 - 86

2545-8655

In order to study the transesterification reaction of soybean oil with methanol, γ-Al2O3-supported CaO, MgO and ZnO catalysts were prepared, as well as mixtures of Mg/Ca and Zn/Ca having molar ratios of 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 5. The catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 physisorption and electron scanning microscopy (SEM). The results were consistent in all the cases with mesoporous solids, with large surface areas, exhibiting the oxide crystalline phase. Mg/Ca mixed catalysts presented fatty acids methyl esters (FAME) selectivities of almost 100%. Nevertheless, no mixture exceeded the FAME yield of the pure MgO catalyst, which showed a maximum of 57%. Zn/Ca mixed catalysts of 0.25, 0.5 and 1 atomic ratios, showed FAME selectivities very close to 100%. A maximum FAME yield of 37% was obtained with the Zn/Ca catalyst having an atomic ratio of 1.