Steel slag as new catalyst for the synthesis of fames from soybean oil

Abstract

For the first time, secondary steel slag, the material directly coming from ladle treatments, is used as a catalyst for the biodiesel production without undergoing any preliminary chemical or thermal modifications. Catalytic material 1, which has been pre-ground to sizes below 230 mesh, has been characterized for the surface textural properties and used as a catalyst in the transesterification of triglycerides of soybean oil to produce biodiesel. Reaction conditions were optimized by DOE method, revealing no interdependence between reaction parameters and results, and showed a catalytic activity comparable with that of an analogous slag-deriving catalyst reported in the literature.