Esterification of Bio-oil to Bio-diesel by Using Long Chain Alcohol with Present of Acid Catalyst

The liquid product from pyrolysis of bio-mass which is bio-oil cannot be used in
refinery without further upgrading. However, its heavy fraction, mixed with aromatic
hydrocarbon was considered as a potential for esterification feedstock. Limited study
was done to conduct esterification using pyrolysis bio-oil. Most method of
esterification was using methanol react with based catalyst. This method results in a
high yield of bio-diesel in short time. However, is limited to relatively clean
vegetable oil and formation of soaps and emulsions make it hard to clean. Using acid
catalyst such as sulphuric acid with !-butanol, give more advantage to the process. It
seems more economical because high yield of organic liquid product produce using
small amount of catalyst and alcohol. Beside the reaction time is shorter when using
long chain of alcohol. The highest production yield of organic liquid product was
achieved at 58 wt% at parameter 60 minutes of reaction time, at temperature 90 °C,
alcohol molar ratio to bio-oil is 3: I and at 2 wt% of catalyst. Comparative study have
been conducted in order to identify any different from organic liquid product with
commercial diesel.