Alum as a heterogeneous catalyst for the transesterification of palm oil

• Published in: Applied catalysis. A, General Vol. 370; no. 1; pp. 54 - 58
• Main Authors: Aderemi, Benjamin O., Hameed, B.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 30.11.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alum; Catalysis; Catalyst; Catalysts; Chemistry; Esters; Exact sciences and technology; Fatty acid methyl ester; Fatty acids; General and physical chemistry; Methyl alcohol; Palm oil; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Transesterification; Palm oil; Transesterification; Alum; Fatty acid methyl ester; Catalyst; Water treatment; Catalytic reaction; Reaction product; Fatty ester; Alcohol; Potential; Fatty acids; Precursor; Characterization; Heterogeneous catalysis; Solid state; Additive; Alkanol; Reaction time; Methanol
• ISSN: 0926-860X; 1873-3875
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcata.2009.09.020

Alum has been taken beyond its traditional roles as a water treatment chemical and a confectionary additive to a new role as catalytic precursor in biodiesel production. Its catalytic potentials were empirically proved via palm oil transesterification with methanol and application of solid state instrumental characterization techniques. The catalyst was very clean, efficient, simple and cheap to produce, and could be clearly separated from the reaction products. Alum has been taken beyond its traditional roles as a water treatment chemical and a confectionary additive to a new role as a catalytic precursor in biodiesel production. Its catalytic potentials were empirically proved via palm oil transesterification with methanol and application of solid state instrumental characterization techniques. The catalyst was very clean, efficient, simple and cheap to produce, and could be clearly separated from the reaction products. When the reaction was carried out under the conditions of catalyst to oil ratio of 7.09 wt%, reaction time of 12 h and temperature of 170 °C, methanol to oil molar ratio of 18:1 and catalyst preconditioned at 550 °C, the yield of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) obtained was 92.5 wt%.