Nano-sulfated zirconia catalyzed biodiesel production from tannery waste sheep fat

Abstract This study makes use of tannery waste to produce biodiesel using a nano-sulfated zirconia catalyst (ferric-manganese-doped sulfated zirconia). It was through a modified wetness impregnation method that the catalyst was prepared which was then characterized by scanning electron microscopy (S...
Ausführliche Beschreibung

Abstract This study makes use of tannery waste to produce biodiesel using a nano-sulfated zirconia catalyst (ferric-manganese-doped sulfated zirconia). It was through a modified wetness impregnation method that the catalyst was prepared which was then characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The catalytic property of the synthesized catalyst was determined by using it to produce biodiesel from tannery waste sheep fat. A study was carried out to find the effect of the different parameters affecting the process. Optimized conditions of 15:1 methanol to fat molar ratio and catalytic loading of 8 wt% at 65 °C with a stirring rate of 400 rpm for a reaction duration of 300 min gave a maximum yield of 98.7 wt%. The performance of the catalyst during recycling was analyzed by conducting reusability study. The reused catalyst gives a maximum yield above 90 wt% up to five cycles with a catalyst recovery of 88 wt%. ASTM D6751 standard was used to compare the analyzed fuel properties of the biodiesel. Ausführliche Beschreibung