Synthesizing of heterogeneous catalysts used in the production of liquid products from biomass

In this study, the synthesizing and characterization of KOH/Al2O3, Co/ZrO2 and Co/TiO2 heterogeneous catalysts were carried out in order to obtain the liquid products from biomass. Catalysts were synthesized by wet-impregnation method, thencalcined at 400-600 oCfor 2-4 h in dry air atmosphere. Catalysts were characterized by usingXRD (X-Ray Diffraction), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), BET (Brunauer, Emmet and Teller) and XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence). The activity of KOH/Al2O3 was tested in the transesterification of soybean oil with methanol to obtain biodiesel. The highest methyl ester content of biodiesel was determined as 98.83%. The Co/ZrO2 and Co/TiO2 catalysts were tested for production of alcohol from glycerol in sub-critic water media. The alcohol content in the reaction mixture was determined.Key Words: Heterogeneous Catalyst, Wet-Impregnation, Biodiesel, Alcohol