SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF K2O PROMOTER AND CaO:ZnO RATIO ON

K2O/CAO-ZNO CATALYST FOR TRANSESTERIFICATION PROCESS

Rahmatika Luthfiani Safitri, Louis Claudia Marpaung

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University

Production of biodiesel from transesterification reaction between soybean oil and methanol has been done
using base catalyst of solid metal mixture 5%K2O/CaO-ZnO with CaO:ZnO mol ratio variables 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2,
1:3, and 3:1. The catalyst preparations are first, CaO-ZnO coprecipitated by solution of Na2CO3 upon the
hotplate in 60oC, the result then filtered, neutralized, dried, and calcinated by furnace within temperature 800 oC
for 3 hours. Then it impregnated by 5%K2O promotor using KNO3 solution, furthermore it dried and calcinated
in 300oC for 5 hours. It crystalinity was tested by XRD method and basicity test using benzene-titration method.
Catalyst 5%K2O/CaO-ZnO (3:1) show the highest basicity. Transesterification reaction done in molar ratio oil
methanol 1:15, 60oC, 4 hours, and catalyst 5% weight of oil. The result of biodiesel then tested by GC-MS
method and showed 75,289% for the highest %FAME which obtained from catalyst with CaO:ZnO (1:2). Its
can be concluded that the catalyst 5%K2O/CaO-ZnO (1:2) is the most promising catalyst.

Key words: K2O/CaO-ZnO, biodiesel, soybean oil, mol ratio, transesterification.