| Title | Recoverable and reusable aluminium solvated species used as a homogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production from brown grease |
| Abstract | Homogeneous aluminium species, obtained by dissolving AlCl3?6H2O into methanol, were characterised and tested as catalysts into the direct esterification of free fatty acids with methanol. The nature and the role of this catalyst was further investigated through ESI-MS and FTIR spectroscopy, by revealing an immediate exchange reaction between methanol and the water molecules originally bounded to the aluminium, producing a final mixed methanol-aquo-complex whose reactivity was found to be comparable to that of a methanolic solution of hydrogen chloride. Reaction conditions were optimised using the desirability function applied on the response surface methodology analysis of a Box-Behnken factorial design of experiments. By carrying out the reaction at 72?C for 120min and using a catalyst amount of 1.5% (mol of Al respect to fatty acids), almost 94% of the starting acids were converted. At the end of the reaction, a biphasic system was obtained in which the upper methanolic phase, which contained most of the starting catalyst, was separated from the heaviest phase, mainly composed of fatty acid methyl esters. Such a distribution not only allowed the biodiesel to be easily separated, but also the catalysts were efficiently recovered and reused for at least four times, determining a total TON greater than 200, without revealing any loss of its activity. ? 2015 Elsevier B.V. |
| Source | Applied catalysis. A, General (Print) 501, pp. 48–55 |
| Keywords | Al-solvated speciesBiodiesel; Reusability; Waste-derived fuels; Water effect |
| Journal | Applied catalysis. A, General (Print) |
| Editor | Elsevier, Amsterdam, Paesi Bassi |
| Year | 2018 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.apcata.2015.04.031 |
| Authors | Pastore, C. and Barca, E. and Del Moro, G. and Lopez, A. and Mininni, G. and Mascolo, G. |
| Text | 397363 2018 10.1016/j.apcata.2015.04.031 Scopus 2 s2.0 84983095542 Al solvated species Biodiesel; Reusability; Waste derived fuels; Water effect Recoverable and reusable aluminium solvated species used as a homogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production from brown grease Pastore, C. and Barca, E. and Del Moro, G. and Lopez, A. and Mininni, G. and Mascolo, G. CNR IRSA, via De Blasio 5, 70132 Bari, Italy, Italy; CNR IRSA, via Salaria km 29,300, 00015 Montelibretti, Roma, Italy, Italy Homogeneous aluminium species, obtained by dissolving AlCl3 6H2O into methanol, were characterised and tested as catalysts into the direct esterification of free fatty acids with methanol. The nature and the role of this catalyst was further investigated through ESI MS and FTIR spectroscopy, by revealing an immediate exchange reaction between methanol and the water molecules originally bounded to the aluminium, producing a final mixed methanol aquo complex whose reactivity was found to be comparable to that of a methanolic solution of hydrogen chloride. Reaction conditions were optimised using the desirability function applied on the response surface methodology analysis of a Box Behnken factorial design of experiments. By carrying out the reaction at 72 C for 120min and using a catalyst amount of 1.5% mol of Al respect to fatty acids , almost 94% of the starting acids were converted. At the end of the reaction, a biphasic system was obtained in which the upper methanolic phase, which contained most of the starting catalyst, was separated from the heaviest phase, mainly composed of fatty acid methyl esters. Such a distribution not only allowed the biodiesel to be easily separated, but also the catalysts were efficiently recovered and reused for at least four times, determining a total TON greater than 200, without revealing any loss of its activity. 2015 Elsevier B.V. 501 Published version https //www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri eid=2 s2.0 84983095542 doi=10.1016%2fj.apcata.2015.04.031 partnerID=40 md5=29439e0872a45b7aa76c576dd2e1b726 cited By 9 Articolo in rivista Elsevier 0926 860X Applied catalysis. A, General Print Applied catalysis. A, General Print Appl. catal., A Gen. Print Applied catalysis. Print giuseppe.mininni MININNI GIUSEPPE emanuele.barca BARCA EMANUELE antonio.lopez LOPEZ ANTONIO carlo.pastore PASTORE CARLO guido.delmoro DEL MORO GUIDO giuseppe.mascolo MASCOLO GIUSEPPE |
