Catalytic activity of sulfated zirconia solid acid catalyst for esterification of myristic acid with methanol

摘要

The catalytic activity and reusability of sulfated zirconia solid acid catalyst is evaluated for esterification of myristic acid with methanol. The catalyst exhibits excellent activity with 98% conversion of myristic acid and selective formation of methyl myristate in presence of a very small amount of catalyst, i.e., 0.5 wt% (to acid) at 60 °C after 5 h. The re-used catalyst also shows good catalytic performance without significant difference in activity up till five reaction cycles. Characterization of the used catalyst revealed no significant change in structural and textural properties, however a slight decrease in surface acidity was observed due to deposition of carbonaceous matter on the surface acid sites.