Chemical Engineering
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Chemical Engineering
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Item Alternative Production of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters from Triglycerides using Sulphated Zirconia(Nigerian Journal of Technological Research (NJTR), 2013) Eterigho, Elizabeth Jumoke; Lee, J. G. M.; Harvey, A. P.Sulphated zirconia (SZ) was synthesized using two different methods with the same molar ratio (1:6) of reactants: (1) the direct mixing of ZrOCl.8H20 and (NH4),SO4, designated as SZ,; and (2) via the conventional wet-precipitation method with a molar ratio of l:6 rather than the conventional 15 ml H2SO4 to Ig of Zr(OH)4, denoted by (SZ,). The catalysts physiochemical properties were precisely characterized by FTIR, SEM, X-ray diffraction, EDX, XPS, and Py-DRIFTS techniques. The two methods of preparation with same molar ratio of sulphating agents led to sulphated zirconia that exhibited different morphological and structural properties in terms of specific surface areas, thermal stability, acid sites, and surface sulphate. The catalysts activity was tested in thermocatalytic cracking of triglyceride; a direct conversion process for fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel). The SZ not only exhibited higher conversion of triglycerides but higher fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) yield of approximately 59% after 3h as compared to SZ, (32%). In addition, the sulphated zirconia, SZ, was selective towards unsaturated esters whereas SZ, was selective towards saturated esters.Item Catalytic Cracking of Tryglyceride by Sulphated Zirconia for Fatty Aciud Methyl Ester with High Selectivity(American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annaul Conference meeting, Minneapolis, MN, United State, 2010-07-21) Eterigho, Elizabeth Jumoke; Lee, Jon G. M.; Harvey, Adam P.Conventional wet-precipitation method was used to synthesis sulphated zirconia using two different molar ratios of sulphating agents. (1) the first was using a molar ratio of 1: 45 of ZrOCl2.8H20 impregnated with 1 M H2SO4, (wp) and (2) a molar ratio of 1: 6 was used for the modified conventional wet-precipitation method, (wp). The properties of both catalysts were examined by various techniques: EDX, XPS, FTIR, SEM, XRDP, Py-DRIFTS and BET nitrogen adsorption techniques. The variation in the molar ratio of the sulphating agent used during preparation led to sulphated zirconia that exhibited different properties in terms of specific surface areas, acid sites, thermal stability and surface sulphate. Both catalysts were catalytically active for triglycerides cracking for fatty acid methyl esters in a thermocatalytic reaction. The SZ not only exhibited higher conversion of triglycerides but higher FAMEs yield, approximately 50% after 3 h, as compared to SZ2 (39%). Interestingly, SZ1 was selective towards unsaturated esters whereas SZ2 was towards saturated esters.