Morphological silica-supported acid catalyst for esterification of aliphatic fatty acid

Abstract

Silica-supported acid catalysts were synthesized and characterized for composition, morphology, particle size distribution, and crystallinity. The catalysts are used for the esterification of long-chain aliphatic acids with alcohol to produce the corresponding ester. Process parameters such as time, temperature, and solvent ratio influence the conversion of fatty acid to ester. A supported catalyst was found to show higher catalytic activity as compared to the conventional sulfuric acid catalyst. © 2009 Reliance Industries Limited.