Synthesis of biodiesel from rapeseed oil using supercritical methanol with metal oxide catalysts

This study examined the synthesis of biodiesel using supercritical or subcritical methanol with metal oxide catalysts. The transesterification of rapeseed oil was carried out with the metal oxide catalysts (SrO, CaO, ZnO, TiO₂ and ZrO₂) to determine the most effective heterogeneous catalyst having the highest catalytic activity with minimum weight loss caused by dissolution. SrO and CaO dissolved in the biodiesel during the reaction because they were transformed to strontium methoxide and calcium methoxide, respectively. ZnO was the optimum catalyst for the transesterification of rapeseed oil owing to its high activity and minimum weight loss in supercritical methanol. The optimal reaction conditions included a molar ratio of methanol to oil of 40 in the presence of 1.0wt.% ZnO and a reaction time of 10min. The supercritical process with ZnO as a catalyst appears economically viable.