Transesterification of Refined Sunflower Oil to Biodiesel Using a CaO/ZSM‐5 Powder Catalyst

The production of biodiesel from refined sunflower vegetable oil over basic CaO/ZSM‐5 catalysts was investigated. Several catalysts with various loadings of CaO on ZSM‐5 were prepared, calcined at 800 °C, and characterized by N2 adsorption‐desorption, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and CO2‐temperature‐programmed desorption techniques. Calcined catalysts were tested in the transesterification reaction and reaction conditions were optimized by varying the catalyst‐to‐oil ratio and reaction time. The most active catalyst was the CaO/ZSM‐5 catalyst with a 35 wt % loading which gave the highest fatty acid methyl ester yield. The high catalytic activity was attributed to the active basic sites generated following CaO addition. Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrated stability against the leaching process. Biodiesel is a promising alternative energy source capable of replacing conventional diesel. The activities of CaO/ZSM‐5 catalysts with various CaO loadings were tested in the transesterification of sunflower oil for biodiesel production. The CaO/ZSM‐5 catalyst with a 35 wt % CaO loading proved to be the most active with a fatty methyl ester yield of 93 % and is stable against the leaching process.