Indonesian Journal of Chemistry
Vol 21, No 1 (2021)

Synthesis and Characterization of Sodium Silicate Produced from Corncobs as a Heterogeneous Catalyst in Biodiesel Production

Alwi Gery Agustan Siregar (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Almamater, Padang Bulan, Medan 20155, Indonesia)
Renita Manurung (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Almamater, Padang Bulan, Medan 20155, Indonesia)
Taslim Taslim (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Almamater, Padang Bulan, Medan 20155, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
26 Oct 2020

Abstract

In this study, silica derived from corncobs impregnated with sodium hydroxide to obtain sodium silicate was calcined, prepared, and employed as a solid base catalyst for the conversion of oils to biodiesel. The catalyst was characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) methods. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to characterize the biodiesel products. The optimum catalyst conditions were calcination temperature of 400 °C for 2 h, catalyst loading of 2%, and methanol: oil molar ratio of 12:1 at 60 °C for 60 min, that resulted in a yield of 79.49%. The final product conforms to the selected biodiesel fuel properties of European standard (EN14214) specifications. Calcined corncob-derived sodium silicate showed high potential for use as a low-cost, high-performance, simple-to-prepare solid catalyst for biodiesel synthesis.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijc

Publisher

Subject

Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Chemistry

Description

Indonesian Journal of Chemistry is an International, peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research articles, review articles, as well as short communication in all areas of chemistry including applied chemistry. The journal is accredited by The Ministry of Research, Technology ...