Study of triacetin selectivity by glycerol esterification using solid catalyst based on silica from bamboo leaf
Maysa Fitri (a), M. Marwan (a*), Yanna Syamsuddin (a), Nanda Suriaini (a)

a) Universitas Syiah Kuala
Jalan Syech Abdur rauf No 7, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
*marwan[at]unsyiah.ac.id

Abstract

Synthesis of triacetin from glycerol with acetic acid was performed over an acid catalyst. Triacetin usually use as bio-additives for transportation fuel for increasing octane number. Development of solid catalyst based on natural resources, bamboo leaf was studied. This catalyst were prepared by activation with strong acid (HCl) then characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD). Based on XRD analysis, impurities were decreased and percentage of silica was increased from 52% to 75%. The effects of molar ratio of glycerol/acetic acid, catalyst loading and reaction time was investigated for triacetin production. Selectivity of triacetin was analyzed with Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GCMS) and the result was 4% for 1:8 mol ratio of glycerol/acetic acid, 5% of catalyst loading. With assistance of microwave, the durations of esterification can be shortened effectively to 60 minutes than conventional method up to 24 hours.

Keywords: triacetin, glycerol, esterification, microwave, bamboo leaf

Topic: Chemical Engineering