Pineapple (Ananás comosus) leaves ash as a solid base catalyst for biodiesel synthesis.

Area of Science:

• Green Chemistry
• Catalysis
• Biomass Valorization

Background:

• Homogeneous catalysts for biodiesel synthesis present challenges like poor reusability and environmental concerns.
• Developing sustainable and recoverable catalysts is crucial for efficient biodiesel production.
• Agricultural waste offers a potential source for novel catalytic materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel catalyst from pineapple leaves waste for biodiesel synthesis.
• To evaluate the catalytic activity and optimize process parameters for soybean oil transesterification.
• To demonstrate a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to biodiesel production.

Main Methods:

• Calcination of pineapple leaves waste to produce the catalyst.
• Comprehensive characterization using XRD, XRF, FTIR, TGA, SEM, and alkalinity measurements.
• Optimization of transesterification parameters including temperature, catalyst loading, time, and methanol:oil ratio.

Main Results:

• The novel catalyst, rich in alkali/alkali metals (85 wt%), exhibited high activity.
• Optimal conditions (60°C, 4 wt% catalyst, 30 min, 1:40 methanol:oil ratio) yielded >98% biodiesel conversion.
• Characterization confirmed the catalyst's properties and composition.

Conclusions:

• The pineapple leaf-derived catalyst is efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable for biodiesel synthesis.
• This method effectively valorizes agricultural waste, reducing environmental impact.
• The catalyst offers a promising alternative to traditional homogeneous catalysts.