Evaluation of pure and impregnated with SnO 2 clays as catalyst for biodiesel production

Abstract

The versatility of natural materials such as clays has drawn attention for their application in scientific studies. This study evaluated the enrichment of these properties with the impregnation of SnO2 on the surface of the material and its behavior as a catalyst for the transesterification of soybean oil. With this purpose, a bentonite was selected considering the values of cation exchange capacity and quartz content. The bentonite has been used in the pure form and impregnated with SnO2 by two methods: the microwave-assisted solvothermal and the modified Pechini. Impregnation efficiency was evaluated by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption and scanning electron microscopy, which showed a better dispersion of the SnO2 when the modified Pechini method was used, and also showed higher efficiency for the catalytic production of biodiesel, reducing by 41.3% the viscosity of the used oil.

Keywords:
SnO2; montmorillonite; biodiesel; transesterification