Transesterification of Canola Oil for Biodiesel Production in the Presence of Mg-Ca/MCM-41; The Template effect

MCM-41 mesoporous material were synthesized non-hydrothermally and magnesium and calcium ions were incorporated in MCM-41 framework by two approaches; Wet Impregnation (WI) and Template Ion Exchange (TIE). For comparison, magnesium containing MCM-41 was also synthesized. The prepared catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results displayed the ordered structure of MCM-41 mesopore was preserved after metal incorporation. The amount of calcium and magnesium were determined using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX). The catalysts were tested for biodiesel production from canola oil with methanol at 70° C. The effect of the residual template within the pores on catalysts activity was also investigated .Template-containing Mg-Ca/MCM-41 prepared by TIE method, showed the best catalytic performance in transesterification of canola oil after 6 hours (88.6%). Since there is no need to remove organic template, then this catalyst saves energy and time and it also reduces the pollutants released to the environment.