Abstract

Free fatty acid molecules have difficulty penetrating SAPO-34 pores due to their large size. To solve this problem, synthesis of SAPO-34 by hydrothermal method, different weight percentages of activated Charcoal template were used with ultrasound waves to distribute the particles in a regular and uniform method. Also, to enhance the acidic strength and improve its performance, Ce was loaded into the SAPO-34 structure by solvothermal treatment. The synthesized samples were characterized by XRD and BET-BJH analysis. The X-ray diffraction results of the synthesized catalysts show the absence of impurities in the samples and the successful synthesis of the catalysts. Moreover, BET analysis showed that 4 wt. % of activated charcoal was the optimal amount of secondary template and Ce/SAPO-34 (4% CHA) nanocatalyst have the highest conversion rate of oleic acid to biodiesel which was 94%. Kinetic studies showed that the oil-to-biodiesel conversion reaction was first order and Ce/MSAPO-34 (CHA4-U) nanocatalyst had the highest reaction rate constant (0.0014 min-1) among the synthesized samples.