Highly stable heterogeneous catalysts from electric furnace dust for biodiesel production: Optimization, performance and reaction kinetics.

Highly stable heterogeneous catalysts were prepared by impregnating carbonates suspension solutions onto electric furnace dust (EFD) and being calcined at high-temperature for the production of biodiesel from soybean oil. Process of impregnating with CaCO 3 , BaCO 3 , SrCO 3 and CdCO 3 suspension solutions and being calcined at high-temperature did not promote improvement of catalytic activity of EFD powder, while the single impregnating with K 2 CO 3 suspension solution can only improve its catalytic activity in the first use. Na 2 CO 3 @EFD catalyst synthesized by impregnating with only Na 2 CO 3 suspension solution owned considerable catalytic activity from nano Na 2 CO 3 (37.0 nm) and good recyclability from nano Fe 3 O 4 (size of 30.0 nm & Ms of 26.77 Am2/kg) with biodiesel yield of 99.13 wt% at 65 °C in 2 h with 15/1 methanol/oil molar ratio and 7 wt% catalyst dosage in the first use (93.50 wt% in the eleventh use). The kinetic study with Na 2 CO 3 @EFD was carried out, and it was found that the activation energy was 32.81 kJ/mol and the frequency factor was 3760.85 /min, lower than reported solid base catalysts, which suggested synthesized Na 2 CO 3 @EFD catalyst owned remarkable potential for industrial application in biomass energy conversion. Highly stable heterogeneous catalysts were prepared with carbonates suspension solutions impregnating onto electric furnace dust to catalyze the production of biodiesel from soybean oil with biodiesel yield of 99.13 wt% in the first use (93.50 wt% in the eleventh use). [Display omitted] • Highly stable catalysts were prepared by impregnating with carbonates onto EFD. • High biodiesel yield of 99.13 wt% was obtained at 65 °C within 2 h. • Good recyclability from Na 2 CO 3 for transesterification and Fe 3 O 4 for separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]