Sulphonated biomass-based catalyst for solketal synthesis by acetalization of glycerol – A byproduct of biodiesel production

• Main Authors: Saikia, Kankana, Rajkumari, Kalyani, Moyon, N. Shaemningwar, Basumatary, Sanjay, Halder, Gopinath, Rashid, Umer, Rokhum, Samuel Lalthazuala
• Format: Article
• Published: Elsevier 2022
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103356/; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382022003228
• Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia

Research on biomass-based catalyst is beneficial for the sustainability of biodiesel industry owing to its wide availability of feedstock, non-toxicity and biodegradability. Cellulose based heterogeneous solid carbon catalyst was prepared from cellulose by treating cellulose with concentrated sulphuric acid in innocuous hydrothermal conditions. It shows promising potential as a suitable catalyst for the synthesis of solketal (a biofuel additive) by acetalization of glycerol, the waste product of biodiesel production. 97.1 ± 0.4% of solketal was produced under the optimum conditions of 1:5 M ratio of glycerol and acetone, catalyst loading of 7 wt% at 70 °C in 10 min. 90% of catalytic activity was retained even after five catalytic cycles making the catalyst highly efficient. With further investments; this method may be used for the preparation of biofuel additive in an industrial level.