Effect of reflux temperature and solvent concentration on the development of mesoporous catalyst from cornstarch for biodiesel synthesis.

摘要

Depletion of fossil fuels and environmental pollution are the two biggest threats humanity is facing today. At the rate we are using our natural oil; we will depleted it very soon. Ultimately we must focus our attention on finding an alternative source of fuel. Biodiesel has many advantages over conventional fuel, such as a low impact of greenhouse gas, lesser toxicity, rapid degradation, and lower health risks. Due to these advantages, biodiesel is a suitable alternative to fossil fuel. In this research, the focus was on developing a heterogeneous mesoporous acid catalyst that can be used to enhance the conversion of free fatty acids into biodiesel. The catalyst was synthesized by using different solvent concentrations and reflux temperatures. The primary idea was to create a mesoporous substance with a larger surface area. A greater number of active sites can be incorporated on the surface of the catalyst with a higher surface area for the esterification reaction to take place.