Takehisa Mochizuki

Production of Jatropha biodiesel fuel over sulfonic acid-based solid acids.

Sulfonic acid-functionalized platelet SBA-15 mesoporous silica with an acid capacity of 2.44mmol H(+) g-cat(-1) (shortly termed 15SA-SBA-15-p) was one-pot synthesized by co-condensation method. When applied as solid acid catalyst in synthesis of Jatropha biodiesel fuel (BDF), the 15SA-SBA-15-p catalyst showed higher activity and resistances to water and free fatty acid (FFA) than commercial sulfonic resins of Amberlyst-15 and SAC-13. For the continuous Jatropha BDF production, a steady 75-78wt% of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content was obtained over 15SA-SBA-15-p catalyst at 150°C for 75h, whereas the Amberlyst-15 and SAC-13 catalysts were quickly deactivated due to the decomposition of thermally unstable framework and serious leaching of sulfonic acids. More importantly, the quality, stability and cold flow characteristic of Jatropha BDF synthesized by 15SA-SBA-15-p catalyst were better than those synthesized by Amberlyst-15 and SAC-13 catalysts, making the blending with petro-diesel an easy task.

Oxygen‐Assisted Hydrogenation of Jatropha‐Oil‐Derived Biodiesel Fuel over an Alumina‐Supported Palladium Catalyst To Produce Hydrotreated Fatty Acid Methyl Esters for High‐Blend Fuels

The partial hydrogenation of jatropha–oil–derived biodiesel fuel (BDF) with a high degree of unsaturated fatty acid tails was successfully performed on an alumina‐supported palladium catalyst, denoted Pd/γ‐Al2O3, under mild conditions (100 °C and 0.5 MPa) to produce hydrotreated fatty acid methyl esters (H‐FAMEs) enriched in monounsaturated components. Trace amounts of peroxides contained in the oil feedstock or the co‐feeding of proper amounts of molecular oxygen (400–1500 ppm) resulted in enhanced activity and durability of Pd/γ‐Al2O3. The produced H‐FAMEs exhibited significantly improved oxidation stability and uncompromised cold‐flow properties, and they can serve as an excellent source of high‐quality BDFs, particularly for high‐blend fuels.