Preparation and Characterization of the Sulfonated Polymer/Non-Woven Fiber Composite Catalytic Membrane for Esterification

Abstract

A novel composite catalytic membrane as heterogeneous acid catalyst for biodiesel production was prepared from zirconium sulfate (Zr (SO4)2) and sulfonated poly (vinyl alcohol) (SPVA) solution supported on/inside PET non-woven fabrics by the phase inversion method. Membrane structure was characterized by Field Emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The effect of polymer concentration on membrane morphologies was investigated. The catalytic performance of the composite membrane demonstrated an increasing from 73.04% to 56.72% with the increasing the membranes porosities increased from 37% to 68%. And the optimum molar ratio of methanol/oleic acid to produce methyl esters was 3:1.