Preparation and characterization of lithium, sodium, and potassium silicate from palm leaf as a potential solid base catalyst in developed biodiesel production

Abstract

In this study, silica derived from palm leaf ash impregnated with various alkali sodium and potassium hydroxide to obtain sodium and potassium silicate was calcined, prepared, and employed as a solid base catalyst for the conversion of oils to biodiesel. The catalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, BET-BJH, Total basicity, and FTIR. Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to characterize the biodiesel products. The final product conforms to the selected biodiesel fuel properties of European standard (EN14214) specifications. Calcined palm leaf-derived lithium, sodium, and potassium silicate shows high potential for use as a low-cost, high-performance, simple-to-prepare solid catalyst for biodiesel synthesis.

Keywords

• Biodiesel
• Palm leaf
• Silica
• Solid base catalyst