Publication Date:
2017-08-19
Description:
A nano-crystalline mesoporous CuO-ZnO hollow sphere was successfully fabricated through the hydrothermal method. The nanocomposite was formed in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a dispersant and D-glucose as a template. The mesoporous CuO-ZnO catalyst was further functionalised with benzene-sulphonic acid to catalyze the esterification of palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD). The thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer Emmet and Teller (BET), ammonia temperature programmed desorption (NH 3 -TPD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies were undertaken to evaluate the physicochemical, textural, structural, and thermal properties of the mesoporous CuO/ZnO mixed oxide catalysts. The modified mesoporous catalyst possessed unique textural properties with the specific surface area of 459.33 m 2 g – 1 , average pore diameter of 2.73 nm, total specific pore volume of 0.33 cm 3 g – 1 , and total acid density of 2.35 mmolg – 1 . The mixed metal oxide with the Cu:Zn atomic ratio of 1.0 exhibited the best catalytic activity through the esterification of the PFAD with the FAME yield of 96.14%. The highest yield was achieved under optimum reaction conditions with the methanol to oil molar ratio of 9:1, catalyst concentration of 1.5 wt.%, reaction temperature of 90°C, and reaction time of 90 min.
Print ISSN:
0930-7516
Electronic ISSN:
1521-4125
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Process Engineering, Biotechnology, Nutrition Technology
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