Production of Biodiesel from Oleic Acid Using a Carbon-Based Catalyst

In this work, the production of biodiesel (FAME) from oleic acid using a sulfonated carbon catalyst derived from glycerol was investigated. The synthesized catalyst was characterized using FTIR, BET, FESEM, XRD and TPD-NH3 to determine its catalytic activity. Simultaneous esterification/ transesterification of oleic acid, was carried out using the synthesized catalyst. The influence of molar ratio of methanol to oleic acid, catalyst loading and reaction time on the conversion and yield of FAME were also studied. For oleic acid conversion, 96% was obtained at optimum conditions of 1:7 methanol/ oleic acid molar ration, 15 wt% catalyst loading and 4h reaction time. The high catalytic ability of the catalyst was associated with the high acid site density formed in the catalyst which was due to high porosity and large pore size of the carbon framework of the catalyst. The catalyst showed good stability when it was recycled. The recyclability of the catalyst and its cheap feedstock makes the overall process much simpler, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly.