Quintinite as a bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel synthesis

Biodiesel synthesis from waste vegetable oils, restaurant grease and poultry fat gained industrial importance compared to the high priced, food based vegetable oils. The major drawback of waste streams is the free fatty acid (FFA) content, which is difficult to convert into biodiesel. This paper describes synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of Quntinite-3T, a bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst that converts FFA and triglycerides (TGs) simultaneously into biodiesel. The catalyst is prepared by sol–gel process and is characterized by XRD, SEM, and HR-TEM. The catalyst is tested for soy, canola, coffee and waste vegetable oils with variable amounts of FFAs (0–30 wt%). 1H NMR, HPLC, GC–MS were used for analyzing the reaction products. The catalyst successfully converted both FFA and TGs in a single step batch reactor.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (106 K)Download as PowerPoint slideResearch highlights▶ Quintinite-3T as a catalyst for conversion of triglycerides into biodiesel. ▶ Quintinite-3T as a catalyst for conversion of t free fatty acids into biodiesel. ▶ Lewis basic and BrØnsted acidic sites for transesterification and esterification. ▶ Beneficial catalyst for high free fatty acid containing feedstocks. ▶ Suitable candidate for multi-feedstock applications.