Esterification of oleic acid to produce biodiesel catalyzed by sulfonated activated carbon from bamboo

A series of heterogeneous acid catalysts are synthesized from bamboo activated carbon through arylation using sulfanilic acid without reductant. Both the catalyst synthesis conditions and parameters for esterification of oleic acid with ethanol are optimized. The heterogeneous acid catalysts are characterized by XRD, FTIR, N2 absorption-desorption, EDX and acid-base neutralization titration. At the molar ratio of benzylsulfonic acid group to bamboo activated carbon of 1, sulfonation temperature of 50 °C and sulfonation duration of 10 min, the heterogeneous acid catalyst presents the mesoporous microstructure with surface area of 225.71 m2 g−1 and pore volume of 0.12 cm−3 g−1, and total acid density of 1.69 mmol g−1. With the catalyst added mass percentage of 12% (relative to the oleic acid mass) and molar ratio of ethanol to oleic acid of 7 at 85 °C for 180 min, esterification efficiency of 96% is achieved, which is higher than 91% of esterification with methanol at 65 °C. Microstructure shrinkage is the main reason for catalyst deactivation, and the regenerated heterogeneous acid supplies the catalytic efficiency of 94%.