Mining waste valorisation to catalytically active mesoporous materials for the esterification of fatty acid palm oil waste

• Published in: Molecular catalysis Vol. 528; p. 112504
• Main Authors: de Oliveira, Alex de Nazaré, Ferreira, Irlon Maciel, Jimenez, David Esteban Quintero, da Silva, Linéia Soares, da Costa, Ana Alice Farias, Lima, Erika Tallyta Leite, Costa, Fabíola Fernandes, da Luz, Patrícia Teresa Souza, Rocha Filho, Geraldo Narciso da, Osman, Sameh M., Luque, Rafael, Nascimento, Luís Adriano Santos do
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.08.2022
• Subjects: Esterification; Heterogeneous catalysis; Mesoporous catalyst; Mining tailings; Palm oil tailings; Palm oil tailings; Heterogeneous catalysis; Mesoporous catalyst; Mining tailings; Esterification
• ISSN: 2468-8231; 2468-8231
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mcat.2022.112504

The use of a mesoporous catalyst, (3)SO3H/AlSiM, synthesized from Amazon flint kaolin (FK), a by-product disposed of in commercial kaolin extraction mining, in the esterification of distillate from the deodorization of palm oil (DDPO), a by-product with a high free fatty acid (FFA) content (84%), from the palm oil refining industry is disclosed herein. This active catalytic system provided a maximum conversion of 95% to fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), using a 1:30 DDPO: EtOH molar ratio, at 130°C for 2 h, with 4% catalyst. The effects of temperature, DDPO: EtOH molar ratio, catalyst amount, and time were investigated. In addition, the catalyst was reused four times, maintaining good conversion (>73%) than the autocatalysis reaction (20%). The results prove the good performance of (3)SO3H/AlSiM, which is very active, can be easily isolated from the reaction medium and reused in subsequent reactions in the conversion of DDPO in a sustainable manner. In addition, the catalytic performance resulted in a good conversion in the esterification reaction of DDPO, in relation to other heterogeneous catalysts. The results show that these residual by-products can be used as low-cost and widely available raw materials, with notable economic advantages, and which represent a green strategy for the synthesis of value-added products, thus reducing environmental and other concerns for industry. [Display omitted]