Obtención de biodiesel con aceite de maíz usado en frituras y metacaolinita como catalizador

Abstract

Biodiesel production with used frying corn oil by transesterification reaction, with methanol, using a commercial kaolinite thermally-activated solid acid catalyst was investigated. The surface area, the average pore diameter and volume of pore of metakaolinite were 10 m2/g, 13.0 nm and 30 mm3/g, respectively. The optimal conditions for the transesterification reaction were determinate to be oil/methanol, in a molar ratio 1:31, temperature 160 ºC, manometer pressure of 1.65 MPa and catalyst concentration of 3 % (w/w). The yield of fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel) was 92.4 % after 2 h of reaction. This method of preparation of biodiesel can be a positive alternative for utilizing used frying corn oil for feedstock of biodiesel combined with the cited inexpensive, “green” catalyst.