PENGARUH LAJU ALIR GAS PEMBAKAR (LPG) TERHADAP PEMBUATAN KATALIS HETEROGEN NANOKOMPOSIT ZnO/Fe2O3

Abstract

Biodiesel as alternative energy can be produced by trans-esterification reaction of vegetable oils or animal oils with homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. Heterogeneous catalysts have several advantages over homogeneous catalysts that it is easier to be separated. ZnO is one of the compounds that it has very high catalytic properties with a yield of 86.1%. Making the catalyst is easier to be separated, Fe₂O₃ is added to the matrix of ZnO. This research was conducted to determine the effect of flow rate of burner gas (LPG) to the size of catalyst particles with a fixed precursor composition (1:1) using a flame spray pyrolysis method. The first procedure performed was nebulizing the precursor solution of Zn(NO₃)₂ and Fe(NO₃)₃, then the droplet was flowed through the tube to the burner. At the same time, turning on the carrier gas and the burner gas (LPG) through inner pipe and annulus. Solids from the combustion in the burner were sipped with exhauster and solid nanoparticles were filtered using a bag filter. Then the solid product were separated from bag filter for further analysis. The results were analyzed by XRD, SEM, and BET. From the results of XRD analysis, it was known that the nanocomposite particles obtained were ZnO/Fe₂O₃. The results of SEM analysis showed that the particles only have some nano-sized particles. They consisted of particles of about 1 nm to 100 nm with percentage 35%; some submicron-sized particles (101 nm to 500 nm with percentage 45%; and some micron-sized particles (more than 500 nm) with percentage 20%. While the results of BET analysis described the specific area of particles, so that the particle diameter could be calculated. It showed that the particles were nano-sized, namely  26.652 – 133.771 nm.