Synthesis and modification of mesoporous silica with sulfated titanium dioxide as a heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production from palm fatty acid distillate

This study synthesizes fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) through esterification reaction of palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) using SO₄ ²⁻/TiO₂ supported by mesoporous silica as a catalyst. The steps of this study were a synthesis of mesoporous silica, catalyst preparation by impregnation and catalyst activity test through esterification reaction of PFAD by using ethanol. The variables of study on the esterification reaction were the weight ratio of catalyst and PFAD as 3%, 5%, 7%. Based on BET characterization, it shows that synthesized silica material is mesoporous silica. The characterization result of silica and catalyst using X-Ray of wide-angle powder (WAXRD) and SEM gives information that the existence of silica as support of SO₄ ²⁻/TiO₂ active site. At the catalyst activity test through esterification reaction, it was obtained the best weight ratio of catalyst and PFAD was 5% with the conversion of ethyl ether formation as 98.9 %. Analysis data and physical properties were viscosity at a temperature of 40 °C and density at the temperature of 15 °C, it shows that the value fit a biodiesel standard of ASTM, meanwhile analysis data of GC-MS toward product of ethyl ester and PFAD has shown that most of the fatty acid in PFAD had been converted into ethyl ester. (paper)