Resource Utilization of Waste Cooking Oil Catalyzed by Na₂CO₃/ZSM-5

A catalyst with a simple synthetic process and good catalytic performance was prepared using Na₂CO₃ as the active component and ZSM-5 as the carrier for the resource utilization of waste cooking oil. The structure of Na₂CO₃/ZSM-5 was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy, and the effects of parameters such as Na₂CO₃ loading, catalyst percentage, and reaction time on the yield of fatty acid methyl esters were investigated. The results showed that the conversion of waste cooking oil to fatty acid methyl esters yielded up to 96.89% when the Na₂CO₃ loading was 35%, the reaction temperature was 65 °C, the reaction time was 2 h, and the catalyst percentage was 1 wt %. The Na₂CO₃/ZSM-5 catalyst could be used to replace H₂SO₄ or NaOCH₃ in the industrial treatment of waste cooking oil for its resource utilization.