Esterification and transesterification assisted by microwaves of crude palm oil: Heterogeneous catalysis

摘要

The principal objective of this study was to obtain alkyl ester from crude palm oil (CPO), using microwaves like heating source, in a process of two stages by means of heterogeneous catalysis; the first stage (esterification), was made using Dowex 50X2, Amberlyst 15 and Amberlite IR-120 resins catalysts, to diminish the acid value of the oil, avoiding the soap formation and facilitating the separation of the phases. The second stage (transesterification) was made using potassium carbonate catalyst. The behavior in the crystallization of the product using differential scanning calorimetry, cloud point ASTM D2500 (2005) and pour point ASTM D97 (2005) was evaluated. The obtained biofuels fulfill the requirements of the American standards for biodiesel and the propose methodology for the synthesis presents environmental advantages and of increase in the reactivity, as opposed to the traditional methods of heating.