LIQUID METAL CATALYST FOR BIODIESEL PRODUCTION

摘要

Molten metal or molten metal alloy catalysts for transesterification reactions are provided. In particular, readily available molten tin is used as a catalyst for biodiesel production. Catalysts comprising tin alloys with low melting point temperatures to allow for low operation temperatures are also provided. The molten catalysts remain in the reaction zone and do not contaminate the product stream, thereby product separation and recovery are manageable. By using molten tin catalysts, it is possible to produce a high quality glycerol as a second valuable product. Furthermore, wide quality ranges of reactants (alcohol and oil) are available for biodiesel production with molten tin catalysts.