Ultrasound-Assisted Dispersion of Magnesium Oxide on CeMCM-41 Nanocatalyst for Biodiesel Production from Waste Vegetable Oil

In this study, Mobil Composite Material No. 41 (MCM-41) used as the catalyst support for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. Also, Si/Ce molar ratio of 10 introduced to the MCM-41 structure to prepare a modified bifunctional nanocatalyst with high stability and acidity. Then, ultrasound irradiation used to disperse MgO as active phase on the surface of as-fabricated support. The synthesized nanocatalysts were investigated using various techniques as follows: XRD, TEM, FESEM, and BET. The XRD patterns along with the results of BET analysis revealed the MCM-41 framework destruction while introducing Ce into the lattice. The particle size and size distribution of the nanocatalyst with Si/Ce=10 were subsequently determined by TEM and FESEM images. Biodiesel production carried out under following operational parameters to evaluate the catalytic performance of synthesized samples: T=70°C, catalyst loading=5 wt. %, methanol/oil molar ratio=9, and 6 h reaction time. Ce substitution in the support framework considerably enhanced the biodiesel conversion. The nanocatalyst with Si/Ce=10 demonstrated the extraordinary conversion of 94.3% compared to the nanocatalyst without Ce with 9.1% conversion. The reusability of the nanocatalyst with Si/Ce=10 studied during seven reaction cycles and biodiesel conversion reached to 88.7% at the end of the last cycle which demonstrates its significant stability.

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