Application of Choline Chloride·xZnCl2 Ionic Liquids for Preparation of Biodiesel

The inexpensive and moisture-stable Lewis-acidic ionic liquids were prepared and applied for transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel. The influences of molar ratio of methanol to soybean oil, reaction temperature and amount of ionic liquids were investigated. The transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel catalyzed by choline chloride·xZnCl2 ionic liquids showed many advantages such as mild conditions and lower cost. On the other hand, the non-ideal yield and complicated separation between biodiesel and soybean oil were also investigated and analyzed. The improvement on the systems of choline chloride·xZnCl2 was proposed for further investigation.