Two-step biodiesel production from Jatropha curcas crude oil using SiO 2·HF solid catalyst for FFA esterification step

Grisel Corro, Nallely Tellez, Edgar Ayala, Alma Marinez-Ayala

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

71 Scopus citations

Abstract

A high quality biodiesel was produced from Mexican Jatropha curcas crude oil (JCCO) by a two step catalyzed process. The free fatty acids (FFA) were first esterified with methanol, catalyzed by a solid catalyst: SiO2 pretreated with HF. The catalyst showed a high number of Lewis acid surface sites, and no CO2 or H2O adsorption activity. This catalyst showed a high FFA esterification activity and high stability. After 30 esterification runs, the catalyst activity remained unchanged. During the second step, the triglycerides present in the JCCO were transesterified with methanol catalyzed by NaOH. The chromatographic analysis of the biodiesel obtained, revealed that the process proposed in this investigation led to a very high quality biodiesel, meeting the international requirements for its utilization as a fuel. The combustion gas emissions of the JCCO biodiesel were studied by FTIR spectroscopy using a laboratory combustor. These preliminary results showed low amounts of aromatic and sulfur containing compounds. However, halogenated compounds and dicyclopentadiene were also detected at the combustor exhaust.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2815-2821
Number of pages7
JournalFuel
Volume89
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 2010

Keywords

  • Biodiesel
  • Biodiesel emissions
  • Heterogeneous acid catalyst
  • Jatropha curcas oil

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