ESTERIFICATION OF REFINED GLYCEROL BIODIESEL BY-PRODUCT USING HETEROGENEOUS CATALYST POLYSTYRENE SULFONIC ACID WASTE-BASED EPS FOAM

Abstract

In this study, the research seeks to examine how the degree of catalysts built from EPS Foam Waste as well as alterations of varying molar proportion from acetic acid to glycerol affect the esterification process for the manufacture of synthesized triacetin. PSSA serves as a compound catalyst throughout this same esterification of glycerol plus acetic acid. The esterification process proved satisfactory, to the data, as evidenced by the functional units throughout its FTIR analysis. Its greatest findings were achieved by the 1:10 molar proportion from glycerol to acetic acid as well as the 2% catalytic mass from glycerol, which culminated in the 44.42 % triacetin intensity plus high discrimination for 44.98 % during the process duration of 2.5 hours as well as stirring velocity at 650 rpm at 100°C.