Abstract
Effect of addition of CaO and ZrO2 to MgO/SiO2 catalyst, which is effective for synthesis of High Quality BioDiesel (HiBD) was investigated using atmospheric agitated reactor at 430 °C and LHSV = 0.3 h-1. Binary MgOCaO/SiO2 and MgO-ZrO2/SiO2 catalysts and ternary MgO-CaO-ZrO2/SiO2 catalyst were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method. Physical properties of these catalysts were characterized by XRD and BET methods. Both the fatty acids and the triglycerides in waste cooking oil were converted into hydrocarbon gases, CO, CO2, water and hydrocarbon oil. CaO- and/or ZrO2-added catalysts gave higher CO2 yields than MgO/SiO2 alone, and showed lower acid values. These observation indicates that the added oxides promote the decarboxylation reactions. Iodine values also decreased to some extent by the addition of these oxides.
