Production of biodiesel from non-edible Jatropha curcas oil via transesterification using Bi2O3–La2O3 catalyst

• Effects of methanol/oil molar ratio, catalyst amount, reaction temperature and reaction time were optimized.
• High FAME conversion of 93% was achieved.
• Bi2O3–La2O3 catalysts were characterized using XRD, BET, TPD-CO2 and TPD-NH3.
• Effects of acidity and basicity of the catalyst have been correlated with the FAME conversion.
• Bi2O3–La2O3 catalyst can easy to recover and maintain 87% conversion after three times of successive reuse.

The simultaneous esterification and transesterification of Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) was carried out in the presence of Bi2O3 (1–7 wt.%) modified La2O3 catalyst at atmospheric pressure. The catalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, desorption of CO2 (TPD-CO2) and NH3 (TPD-NH3). Under the optimal reaction condition of methanol/oil molar ratio of 15:1, 2 wt.% of catalyst amount and a reaction temperature of 150 °C for 4 h, the highest conversion of biodiesel obtained was 93%. This catalyst maintained 87% of FAME conversion after three times of successive reuse.

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