COMPARATIVE STUDY OF Co/MESOPOROUS SILICA AND Co-NH2/MESOPOROUS SILICA CATALYSTS ACTIVITY IN WASTE COCONUT OIL HYDROCRACKING

Abstract

Production of Cobalt/Mesoporous silica (Co/MS) and Cobalt-NH2/Mesoporous silica (Co-NH2/MS) catalysts had been carried out where the Co metal content was 2 wt.% against mesoporous silica. The deposition of Co metal on mesoporous silica was executed using the wet impregnation method. The functionalization of –NH2 from the 3-APTMS compound was done by the grafting method. Both catalysts were compared their catalytic activity and selectivity through the hydrocracking process of waste coconut oil into biofuel (gasoline and diesel fractions). The result showed that the Co/MS-2% catalyst had a larger surface area (23.2191 m2/g) than the Co-NH2/MS-2% catalyst (17.7923 m2/g). The Co/MS-2% catalyst produced slightly more liquid product (77.008 wt.%) than Co-NH2/MS-2% (76.767 wt.%). Meanwhile, the Co-NH2/MS-2% catalyst produced more biofuel (74.54%) than the Co/MS-2% catalyst (70.86%). Furthermore, the selectivity of the catalyst against the gasoline fraction (40.2643 wt.%) was obtained by the Co-NH2/MS-2%, while the selectivity of the catalyst against the diesel fraction (17.7118 wt.%) was produced by Co/MS-2%.