Sulfonated porous carbon catalysts for biodiesel production: Clear effect of the carbon particle size on the catalyst synthesis and properties

L. H. Tamborini, M. E. Casco, M. P. Militello, J. Silvestre-Albero, C. A. Barbero, D. F. Acevedo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sulfonated porous carbons (PCs-SO3H) are prepared by the sol-gel reaction of resorcinol and formaldehyde. The porosity is maintained during drying using a cationic polyelectrolyte as pore stabilizer. It was found that varying the Resorcinol/Na2CO3 molar rate, different resins are produced which, after pyrolysis, give carbonaceous materials with different textural properties. It seems that a Resorcinol/Na2CO3 molar ratio of 200:1 was the optimal condition to produce a well-developed porous structure. Both resins and carbon materials are sulfonated by treatment with sulphuric acid. The relation between the carbon particles size, the sulfonation efficiency and its performance as a catalyst is studied. The higher amount of sulfonic groups, and thermal stability, as well as better catalytic performance, was obtained when smaller porous carbon particles were chosen by sieving. PCs-SO3H exhibited high efficiency for the esterification reaction and high performance for biodiesel production. The catalysts can be recycled several times with a minimal loss of activity. Thermal analysis evidenced stability up to ca. 200 °C, allowing the use of this catalyst at high temperature. The simple synthesis and low cost of the PCs-SO3Hs make them promising catalysts for the synthesis of biodiesel.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)209-217
Number of pages9
JournalFuel Processing Technology
Volume149
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Acid catalyst
  • Biodiesel
  • Heterogeneous catalyst
  • Porous carbon

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