PERFORMA KATALIS HETEROGEN NANOKOMPOSIT ZnO/Fe2O3 UNTUK REAKSI TRANSESTERIFIKASI PADA PEMBUATAN BIODIESEL DARI MINYAK JELANTAH DENGAN TINJAUAN WAKTU REAKSI

Abstract

Biodiesel is renewable fuel sources that has similar properties with diesel fuel which isusually produced from transesterification of vegetable oil with alcohol. Transesterification can be done by homogen or heterogen catalyst. ZnO as a transesterification catalyst has given high yield. To improve the catalytic performance, the surface area per mas of catalyst must be increased by decreasing the size of particle. To ease the separation between product and catalyst, the magnetic  behaviour should be added to the catalyst. The purpose of this research was to obtain catalytic and separation performance of nanocomposite ZnO/Fe2O3. After being activated by calcination and impregnation, it was mixed with methanol and stirred in areactor and heated until 65oC. At the same time, waste cooking oil at 65oC was added into the reactor. Reaction was carrid out for 3 hours at constant temperature of 65oC. The product and the impurities were then separated. The upper layer was methyl ester, and the lower layer was glycerol. The product and catalyst were separated by magnet. The separated catalyst was collected as catalyst recovery. The glycerol was analyzed to determine the reaction convertion. Methyl ester was analyzed using GC-MS method. The result showed that the catalyst recovery decrease from 76.4% to 65.3% for 3 hours to 6 hours of reaction. The reaction conversion was 66.11% for 6 hours of reaction.