Conversion of rubber seed oil into biodiesel with potassium oxide alumina supported by (K2O/Al2O3) catalyst

• Published in: IOP conference series. Materials Science and Engineering 2020-12, Vol.980 (1), p.12058
• Main Authors: Karo Karo, J A, Husin, H, Nasution, F, Yani, F T, Maliki, S, Prayuda, D D, Hasfita, F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Biodiesel fuels; Catalysts; Chemical synthesis; Corrosion products; Energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy; Impregnation; Potassium; Potassium hydroxides; Potassium oxides; Rubber; Seeds; Surface structure; Transesterification; Vegetable oils
• ISSN: 1757-8981; 1757-899X
• DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/980/1/012058

In this paper, we report the synthesis of K2O/Al2O3 for its application as a catalyst in the transesterification reaction for biodiesel production from rubber seed oil. So far, biodiesel production has been done through transesterification of vegetable oils through homogeneous catalysts, such as NaOH and KOH. Heterogeneous catalysts are more advantageous because they are easy to separate from the products, have less corrosion, and can be reused. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of potassium oxide alumina-supported (K2O/Al2O3) solid catalysts to convert rubber seed oil into biodiesel. The K2O/Al2O3 catalyst was synthesized by impregnating KOH on the support of Al2O3 through the inception wetness method. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) to detect surface structure, composition, and active phase of the catalyst. EDX analysis indicated that the catalyst consisted of 36.41% potassium, 32.89%, and 30.7% oxygen. The reaction was conducted in a two-neck glass reactor at a temperature of 65°C, methanol to oil ratios of 10:1, during 1.5 h. The yield of biodiesel was achieved up to 96.9% at the ratio KOH: Al2O3 of 7.5: 2.5.