Statistical Optimization of the Biodiesel Production Process Using a Magnetic Core-Mesoporous Shell KOH/Fe3O4@γ-Al2O3 Nanocatalyst

Abstract

A magnetic core-mesoporous shell KOH/Fe3O4@γ-Al2O3 nanocatalyst was synthesized using the Fe3O4@γ-Al2O3 core-shell structure as support and KOH as active component. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) techniques. Transesterification of canola oil to methyl esters (biodiesel) in the presence of the magnetic core-mesoporous shell KOH/Fe3O4@γ-Al2O3 nanocatalyst was investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on the Box-Behnken design (BBD) was employed to optimize the influence of important operating variables on the yield of biodiesel. A biodiesel yield of 97.4 % was achieved under optimum reaction conditions. There was an excellent agreement between experimental and predicted results.