Abstract:
In a green revolutionary era, biodiesel showed exponentially highest demand in market. In
manufacturing of biodiesel by using biomass, a triol, hydroxyl containing compound bioglycerol is produced as by product in huge amount. In this study acetylation of glycerol
with acetone in presence of acid modified Rice Husk Ash derived catalyst resulted in
synthesis of a compound Solketal, (2-2dimethyl 1-3 dioxane 4-methanol). The catalyst was
modified with four different acidic treatments (HCl, Nitric Acid, Oxalic acid, H2SO3,) and
the control group was kept untreated. All of these four-acid treated catalyst and untreated
samples were analyzed by following techniques Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
for functional group confirmation, X- ray diffractometer for structural characterization,
Brunauer- Emmett- Teller for pore size measurements and Gas chromatography- mass
spectrometry for catalyst evaluation. The FTIR results showed the presences of silicon base
functional groups where Si-O-Si, Si-O, Si-OH elements present in the catalyst. In the XRD
results appearance of broader peak at 220
confirms the amorphous nature of catalyst. BET
showed internal morph of the catalyst with increase in surface area, external surface area,
pore volume and decrease particle size, pore diameter under five treatments. The most
effective results were observed for the sulphuric acid treatment. GCMS resulted in 96.03%
glycerol conversion and 95.85% Solketal selectivity. GCMS was analyzed under controlled
conditions of temperature (400
to 800 C), molar ratio of (1:2, 1:4, 1:6, 1:8), and the duration
of (1h-5h). All of these four acid modified catalysts successfully yielded Solketal.
However, the sulfuric acid treated catalyst resulted in the highest up-to 95.85% of
conversion rate into Solketal yield at 5h, 1:6molar ratio and 600 C conditions as compared
to the untreated, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and oxalic acid treatments. This study made
a positive contribution towards enhancement in production rate of bio-fuel additive the
Solketal with the use of bio-mass rice husk ash derived eco-friendly catalyst in very
effective way.
