Renewable production of value-added jojobyl alcohols and biodiesel using a naturally-derived heterogeneous green catalyst

• Green catalyst for the production of value-added alcohols and biodiesel.
• All raw materials could be obtained from the underutilized natural resources.
• Butanol-to-jojoba oil molar ratio had a major impact on the alcoholysis process.
• The surface reaction controlled the overall butanolysis process.

The present article addresses the generation of value-added jojobyl alcohols and biodiesel using the underutilized renewable natural resources. The butanolysis reaction of jojoba oil required for its transformation to jojobyl alcohols and fatty acid butyl esters was performed over mussel shells derived calcium oxide as a heterogeneous base catalyst. This study systematically investigated the influence of temperature, time, n-butanol concentration and catalyst loading on the butanolysis process. The results of the present study indicated that n-butanol concentration had a major impact on the reaction. The maximum jojoba oil conversion of 96.11% was registered after 1800 min of transesterification reaction performed at 85 °C using butanol-to-oil molar ratio of 10:1, 12 wt.% catalyst amount and 350 rpm stirring intensity. A mathematical model for its kinetics was developed based on a three-step mechanism equivalent to the Eley–Rideal one. It was concluded that the butanolysis reaction occurred between the surface chemisorbed butoxide ions and jojoba oil molecules in the liquid phase, whereas, the overall process was controlled by the surface reaction.

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