EXPLORING THE CATALYTIC POTENTIALS OF SUPPORTED MOLTEN SALTS TOWARD TRANSESTERIFICATION OF WASTE COOKING OIL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL

摘要

Biodiesel derived from vegetable oils or animal fats are prominent candidates as one of the green constituents (blend) to diesel fuels. Herein we report an efficient and sustainable methodology in which silica-supported molten salt (SMS) tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate was used as a catalyst for the process of transesterification between waste sunflower oil and an alcohol to give high-quality biodiesel as product. Furthermore, the resulting biodiesel and its blend (B5) was characterized by utilizing thermal methods like thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry along with other standard physicochemical processes of characterization. For an efficient utilization of blend (B5) as fuel, the thermogram obtained was used to calculate the specific heat capacity behavior as a function of temperature. In addition, the present protocol directs an extraordinary route to construct materials with unique surface properties, as the transfer of specific properties from the molten salt framework to silica gel surface may accomplish a "designer surface" with properties having a potential to alter the method of organic transformations.