Tire-derived carbon for catalytic preparation of biofuels from feedstocks containing free fatty acids

Zachary D. Hood; Shiba P. Adhikari; Samuel F. Evans; Hui Wang; Yunchao Li; Amit K. Naskar; Miaofang Chi; Abdou Lachgar; M. Parans Paranthaman

Carbon Resources Conversion (Aug 2018)

Tire-derived carbon for catalytic preparation of biofuels from feedstocks containing free fatty acids

Zachary D. Hood,
Shiba P. Adhikari,
Samuel F. Evans,
Hui Wang,
Yunchao Li,
Amit K. Naskar,
Miaofang Chi,
Abdou Lachgar,
M. Parans Paranthaman

Affiliations

Zachary D. Hood: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Corresponding authors at: Electrochemical Materials Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA (Z.D. Hood). Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA (A. Lachgar). Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA (M.P. Paranthaman).
Shiba P. Adhikari: Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (CEES), Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
Samuel F. Evans: Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; The Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Hui Wang: Mechanical Engineering and Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
Yunchao Li: Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; The Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Amit K. Naskar: The Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
Miaofang Chi: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
Abdou Lachgar: Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (CEES), Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; Corresponding authors at: Electrochemical Materials Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA (Z.D. Hood). Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA (A. Lachgar). Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA (M.P. Paranthaman).
M. Parans Paranthaman: Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; The Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Corresponding authors at: Electrochemical Materials Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA (Z.D. Hood). Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA (A. Lachgar). Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA (M.P. Paranthaman).

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 1, no. 2
pp. 165 – 173

Abstract

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The utilization of waste feedstocks rich in free fatty acids (FFAs) improves biofuel production on the basis of economics and sustainability. However, converting these feedstocks to usable biofuel poses inherent problems in terms of the FFA to biofuel conversion yield and the catalyst lifetime. Here, we report novel ferric sulfate impregnated carbon derived from waste tires as highly active catalysts for FFA to biofuel conversion. Our approach takes advantage of facile synthesis methods involving sonication and dehydration processes to create materials that are useful for the efficient catalytic conversion of FFAs to advanced biofuels. Esterification of FFAs to fatty acid methyl esters was achieved at 65 °C and atmospheric pressure with >98% yield even in the presence of triglycerides. These catalysts maintained similar activity after four successive uses, which indicates that the active catalytic sites are effectively supported by the three-dimensional meso/microporous architecture of the tire-derived carbon. Keywords: Biofuels, Solid acid catalyst, Recycled tires, Free fatty acids, Esterification

Published in Carbon Resources Conversion

ISSN: 2588-9133 (Online)
Publisher: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology
Website: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/carbon-resources-conversion/

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