Enhanced epoxidation of soybean oil by novel Al2O3-ZrO2-TiO2solid acid catalyst

This study aims to develop highly efficient, recyclable solid catalysts for the epoxidation of vegetable oils. An Al2O3-ZrO2-TiO(2)solid acid catalyst was prepared by a co-precipitation/impregnation method and characterised through scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analyses. The solid acid catalyst with a high surface area and typical slit pore adsorption was successfully synthesised. Al2O3-ZrO2-TiO(2)also exhibits high stability and improved catalytic efficiency in the epoxidation of soybean oil. An oil conversion rate of 86.6%, which is higher than that of conventional catalysts, was obtained with a catalyst loading of 0.8 wt% and was maintained at 76.6% even after recycling the catalyst three times. The performance of the solid catalyst was slightly superior to that of H2SO4. Therefore, this novel catalyst may potentially be applicable in catalysing soybean oil epoxidation.

Automated summary

The Al2O3-ZrO2-TiO2 solid acid catalyst prepared by a co-precipitation/impregnation method showed high efficiency and stability in the epoxidation of soybean oil, with a higher oil conversion rate compared to conventional catalysts and maintained performance even after three cycles of recycling. Its performance was slightly superior to that of H2SO4, making it a potential candidate for catalysing soybean oil epoxidation.