Iraqi kaolin was used for the preparation and characterization of NaY zeolite for biodiesel production via esterification reaction. Oleic acid was used usually as a typical simulated feedstock of high acid number for the esterification reaction.
The chemical composition for the prepared Nay zeolite is as following: (Ca2.6Na1.K0.1)(Al6.3Si17.7)O48.16H2O, the silica to alumina ratio in the prepared catalyst was found equal to 2.6 and Na2O content was 12.26 wt. %, with relative crystallinity equal to 147.4 % obtained by the X-ray diffraction. The surface area result shows that the prepared catalyst has 330 m2/g. While, the measured pore volume by nitrogen adsorption was equal to 0.35 cm3/ g. SEM images show notable differences between the kaolin crystal and prepared NaY crystal.
The effect of NaY zeolite, as a loaded catalyst in the esterification of oleic acid reaction did not show any significant change of oleic acid conversion for catalyst load more than 5 wt. %. The reused NaY zeolite is loses 31 % of its activity because of that the pores are filled with water and other organic molecules and that may cause poisoning the catalyst.
