Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia

OP-1-3MAGNESIA SUPPORTED STRONTIUM CATALYSTS FOR SOYBEANOIL METHANOLYSIS: STUDY OF THE OIL ACIDITY EFFECTAna Paula Soares Dias 1 , Joana Bernardo 1 , Pedro Felizardo 2 ,Joana Neiva Correia 2 , Oksana Turchanina 31 ICEMS-UQUIMAF-GRECAT, Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University ofLisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, s/n, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal, apsoares@ist.utl.pt2 Centre of Chemical Processes, Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University ofLisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal3 Donetsk National Technical University, 48 Artema str., Donetsk 83000, UkraineRoad transportation is the fastest growing sector of greenhouse gas emissionstoday. Thus it seems imperative to find sustainable alternative fuels like bioethanoland biodiesel. First generation biodiesel is usually produced through atransesterification reaction (alcoholysis) between a lipid source (vegetable oils andfats) and an alcohol (mainly methanol) to produce a mixture of esters (FAME-fattyacid methyl esters) and a by-product, glycerol. The reaction occurs in presence ofacid or basic catalysts but basic catalysis is generally preferred since the reaction isfaster. Conversely, basic catalysts deactivate in the presence of low quality andcheaper raw oils due to the oil acidity and water content [1].Magnesia supported strontium catalyst (Sr/Mg=0.2 atomic ratio) was prepared bycontacting the commercial magnesia with an aqueous solution of Sr nitrate. Theresulting suspension was evaporated at around 80єC until dryness under vigorousstirring. The SrO/MgO sample was dried, calcined and then tested for themethanolysis of soybean oil (food grade) at methanol reflux temperature andatmospheric pressure.100The effect of the oil acidity was80studied. The oil was acidified byadding oleic acid. In the testedconditions, with the raw oil, the6040SrO/MgO catalyst presented20interesting initial rate of0methanolysis and no soap formation0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0Oil acidity (%)was observed. The oil acidity has,as expected, a negative effect onFig. 1. Effect of oil acidity on the FAME yield.(W cat /W oil =5%; Methanol/Oil=9; reaction time 3h).the catalytic performances (Fig.1). The catalyst, with H_