• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.324-330
• /
• 2019

To recycle raw fly ash (RFA), a waste from thermal power plants, it was used to prepare solid catalysts which have many advantages compared with homogenous catalysts. When biodiesel was produced from soybean oil using RFA, only 1.2% of biodiesel conversion was obtained. A metal hydroxide, NaOH, KOH or $Ca(OH)_2$, was mixed with the acid-treated fly ash (ATFA), and the mixture was calcined at $700^{\circ}C$ for 3 h to prepare the solid catalyst. The solid catalyst prepared by mixing ATFA with NaOH, designated as SC-Na, showed a better performance than those prepared by mixing ATFA with KOH or $Ca(OH)_2$, respectively. The optimal mass ratio of ATFA with NaOH was 1:3, at which the proportion of $Na_2O$ increased to 60.2% in SC-Na, and 97.8% of biodiesel conversion was achieved under optimal reaction conditions (2 w% SC-Na relative to oil and 5 mL-methanol/g-oil at $50^{\circ}C$ for 4 h). Finally, a batch operation was repeatedly carried out to test the feasibility of reusing the solid catalyst, and more than 96% biodiesel conversion was stably achieved for the third round of operations. This study shows that RFA was successfully recycled to solid catalysts through a simple preparation method, and the solid catalyst was reused for the production of biodiesel with high conversion.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.50 no.4
• /
• pp.627-631
• /
• 2012

Sodium borohydride, $NaBH_4$, shows a number of advantages as hydrogen source for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The durability of Co-P-B/Cu catalyst for sodium borohydride hydrolysis reaction was studied. The effect of reaction temperature, $NaBH_4$ concentration, NaOH concentration and calcination temperature of catalyst on the durability of Co-P-B/Cu catalyst were measured. The gel formed during hydrolysis reaction affected the durability of catalyst (loss of catalyst). Formation of gel increased the loss of the catalyst. When $NaBH_4$ concentration was high and reaction temperature was higher than $60^{\circ}C$, loss of catalyst was low because gel was not formed. But under the temperature of $40^{\circ}C$, loss of catalyst increased due to gel formation When $NaBH_4$ concentration was 40 weight % and the reaction temperature was $40^{\circ}C$, the loss of catalyst increased as the NaOH concentration increased. As the calcination temperature of catalyst decreased, the loss of catalyst decreased and the activity of catalyst decreased. Calcination of the catalyst at high temperature enhanced the durability of catalyst but diminished the activity of catalyst.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.49 no.6
• /
• pp.769-774
• /
• 2011

Porous carbon nanofibers(CNF) were synthesized via NaOH activation at 700~$900^{\circ}C$, and the porous CNF-supported PtRu catalysts were evaluated for the anode in direct methanol fuel cells. The change of surface characteristics by NaOH activation was examined by analyses of the specific surface area and pore size distribution. The morphological and structural modification was investigated under scanning electron microscopy. The activity of catalysts supported on porous CNFs was examined by cyclic voltammograms and single cell tests. The pore formation on CNF by the NaOH activation was discussed, concerning the catalyst activity, when they were applied as catalyst supports.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.343-352
• /
• 2022

Co/Al₂O₃ nanopowder was used as a catalyst to investigate the effect of catalyst support, reduction temperature, sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) concentration, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration, and reaction temperature on the characteristics of NaBH₄ hydrolysis. The Co/Al₂O₃ nanopowder showed a high catalytic activity among various catalysts. Catalyst reduction at 250℃ exhibited a relatively good activity. The activity decreased with an increase in the NaBH₄ concentration. Conversely, the activity increased and then decreased with an increase in the NaOH concentration. Additionally, the activity increased with an increase in the reaction temperature. The value of apparent activation energy was 40.81 kJ/mol, which was lower than the other Co-based catalysts. Thus, Co/Al₂O₃ nanopowder catalyst can be widely used for NaBH₄ hydrolysis owing to its superior catalytic activity.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.114-121
• /
• 2003

Hydrogen generation system using aqueous $NaBH_4$ solution was developed for feeding small polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Ru was selected as a catalyst with its high activity for the hydrogen generation reaction. Hydrogen generation rate was measured with changing the solution temperature, amount of catalyst loading, $NaBH_4$ concentration, and NaOH (a base-stabilizer) concentration. A passive air-breathing 2 W PEMFC stack was operated on hydrogen generated using $20wt%\;NaBH_4+5wt%$ NaOH solution and Ru catalyst.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.13-18
• /
• 2017

Sodium borohydride, $NaBH_4$, shows a number of advantages as hydrogen source for UAV PEMFC (Unmaned Aerial Vehicle Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells). In order to use for UAV, the weight and volume of byproduct should be small after $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis reaction. Therefore, the weight and volume of byproduct were studied after $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis reaction using unsupported catalyst. The effect of catalyst type, concentration of $NaBH_4$, concentration of NaOH and thickness of catalyst pack on the weight and volume of byproduct were studied. Most of byproduct was $NaB(OH)_4$ and superficial volume of byproduct increased due to foam evolved from byproduct. The weight and volume of byproduct were not affected by concentration of NaOH used stabilizer. The weight of byproduct decreased as concentration of $NaBH_4$ solution increased, but maximum volume of byproduct obtained at 23 wt% of $NaBH_4$. Suitable defoaming agent reduced the volume of byproduct.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.137-143
• /
• 2004

For hydrogen generation from aqueous alkilne $NaBH_4$ solution, Co-B catalyst was prepared by chemical reduction method using $NaBH_4$ as a reduction chemical. Effects of solution temperature, amount of catalyst loading, $NaBH_4$ concentration, and NaOH (a base-stabilizer) concentration on the hydrogen generation rate were exmanined. Compared to Ru catalyst generally used, the low-cost Co-B catalyst exhibited almost comparable activity to the hydrogen generation reaction.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.79-87
• /
• 2004

Esterification of soybean oil with methanol was investigated. First of all, liquid-liquid equilibriums for systems of soybean oil and methanol were measured at temperatures ranging from 40 to 65$^{\circ}C$. Profiles of conversion of soybean oil with time were determined from the glycerine content in reaction mixtures for the different kinds of catalysts, such as NaOH, CaO, Ca(OH)$_2$, MgO, Mg(OH)$_2$, and Ba(OH)$_2$. The effects of dose of catalyst, cosolvent and reaction temperature on final conversion were examined. Esterification of waste vegetable oil with methanol was investigated and compared to the case of soybean oil. Solubility of methanol in soybean oil was substantially greater than that of soybean oil in methanol. When the esterification reaction of soybean oil was catalyzed by solid catalyst, final conversion was strongly dependent on the alkalinity of the solid catalyst, and increased with the alkalinity of the metal. Hydroxides from the alkali metals were more effective than oxides. When Ca(OH)$_2$ was used for the esterification catalyst, maximum value of final conversion was measured at dose of 4％. When CHCl$_3$ as a cosolvent, was added into the reaction mixture of soybean oil which catalyzed by Ba(OH)$_2$, maximum value of final conversion was appeared at dose of 3％. When waste vegetable oil was catalyzed by NaOH and solid catalysts, high final conversion, over 90％, and fast reaction rate were obtained.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.190-195
• /
• 2007

The transesterifications of beef tallow and the mixture of beef tallow and rapeseed oil were conducted at $65^{\circ}C$ respectively using TMAH, NaOH and their mixed catalysts. The reactants were emulsified with 1vol% emulsifier and propylene glycol. The overall conversion of beef tallow was 95% at such optimum conditions as the 1:8 of molar ratio and 0.8 wt% TMAH. The overall conversion of mixed fat at the 1:8 of molar ratio and mixed catalyst of 70 wt% TMAH 30 wt% NaOH was close to 97% which appeared at 0.8 wt% TMAH in 80min. And the kinematic viscosity of biodiesel mixture using the mixed catalyst was $6.5mm^2/s$ at $40^{\circ}C$.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.383-389
• /
• 2010

Co-B, Co-P-B, Co-Ni-B and Co-Ni-P-B catalysts supported on Ni foam were prepared using electroless plating in the present study. The surface morphology of the catalysts/Ni foam was observed using SEM and EDS analysis. The Co-Ni-P-B/Ni foam catalyst showed the superior performance on hydrogen generation due to the uniform formation of catalyst particles on the Ni foam surface. The characteristics of hydrogen generation with Co-Ni-P-B/Ni foam catalyst was investigated at the variety of $NaBH_4$ and NaOH concentrations. Durability test was performed, resulting in the stable hydrogen generation for 6 hours.