HETEROGENEOUS CATALYSIS USING BENTONITE-SUPPORTED Fe-Co-Ni TRIMETALLIC NANOPARTICLES
ADERIBIGBE FATAI ALADE(1*), ADEWOYE TUNMISE LATIFAT(1), MUSTAPHA SHERIF ISHOLA(1), MOHAMMED ISHAQ ALHASSAN(1), SAKA HARVIS BAMIDELE(2), AJALA ELIJAH OLAWALE(1), OLUWASEYI SOILE SAMUEL(1)
1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria 2. Quality Control Department, Segmax Oil Nigeria Limited, Kere-Aje, Ogbondoroko, Kwara State, Nigeria *Corresponding author, email: aderibigbe.fa@unilorin.edu.ng
Abstract
Herein, the synthesis and characterization of a bentonite-supported Fe-Co-Ni trimetallic nanocatalyst applied in transesterification reaction was reported. The synthesized heterogeneous catalyst was used to investigate the production of biodiesel by varying the reaction parameters using Box-Behnken design response surface methodology (RSM-BBD). An optimum biodiesel yield of 95.2 % was obtained at methanol to oil ratio of 10:1, reaction time of 2 hours, reaction temperature of 55 ℃ and catalyst concentration of 5 % (w/w of the oil). The biodiesel produced was later analysed using GC-MS analysis and the results shows a fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) profile that confirms the presence of biodiesel.