Biodiesel, produced by the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats with methanol, is a promising alternative diesel fuel. In this study, a series of strong base anion resins with different basicity, pore structure, degree of cross-linking, and particle size were investigated as heterogeneous catalysts for the transesterification of soybean oil with methanol. A trace amount of CH 3 ONa, functioning as a homogeneous catalyst, was found to exhibit synergetic effects with the resin catalysts. By using this combined method, the transesterification reaction approached completion after 6 h at 328 K. The reason for this synergetic effect can be attributed to the regeneration of active catalytic sites in a basic environment.

In order to elucidate the effect of sodium on the activity of ZSM-5 supported metal oxides catalysts (ZnO-Al2O3/ZSM-5 and SnO-Al2O3/ZSM-5) for the transesterification of soybean oil with methanol, ZSM-5 supported metal oxides were prepared with and without sodium hydroxide by impregnation. The metal compositions of the ZSM-5 supported metal oxide catalysts and the metal concentrations dissolved from the catalysts to the methylester phase were measured by SEM-EDS and inductive coupled plasma spectroscopy, respectively. The catalytic activity of ZnO-Al2O3/ZSM-5 and SnO-Al2O3/ZSM-5 containing sodium did not originate from surface metal oxides sites, but from surface sodium sites or dissolved sodium leached from the catalyst surface.

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