Synthesis and characterization of waste tyre heterogeneous acid catalyst for optimum production of biodiesel from non edible oil

Abstract

newline Energy is particularly relevant to human prosperity and survival around the world. With the rapid rise in oil prices and the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, meeting the thriving need for energy in a safe and naturally reliable manner is a critical challenge. Focused research efforts over a period of time have contributed to finding efficient ways to generate alternative fuels. Biofuels in the form of liquid fuels are one of the universally accepted methods and are primarily a renewable source and can be used as a direct replacement for conventional fuels with or without modification. The various liquid fuels extracted and developed from a wide range of biomass include ethanol and biodiesel. Currently, biodiesel is considered one among alternative like hydrogen, ethanol, natural gas that can solve the demand for liquid fuels and is produced by transesterification of vegetable oil and animal fat with methanol in the presence of a base catalyst, a method widely used in industry. The economic aspects of biodiesel production are firmly limited by the alarming cost of refined feedstock, the failure to recover and reuse homogeneous catalysts, and the disposal of wastewater. The use of inexpensive feedstocks such as waste oil, non-edible oils, and animal fats makes biodiesel production financially achievable, but the high measure of free fatty acids (FFA) present in these feedstocks limits the utilization of base catalysts, thereby reducing biodiesel yield from the saponification reaction and prevailing uniform acid catalyst was swapped out for catalysts for heterogeneous acids owing to them substantial advantages over standardized catalysts, particularly the ability to separate and reuse the catalyst. They are also less harmful to the environment, easy to disconnect, and non-corrosive. This study utilized the heterogeneous acids iv catalyst from tyre waste as carbon precursors for the production biodiesel from Pongamia pinnata oil as non-edible oil.