Biodiesel cracking process from beef tallow using catalyst bentonite intercalated NiCl2

Abstract

Biodiesel cracking from beef tallow is a method to produce biogasoline. The biodiesel from beef tallow obtain by esterification and transesterification reaction. The cracking process will produce biogasoline with carbon chain lengths that are lighter (C4−C12). In this study the cracking process is done using bentonite intercalated NiCl2 catalyst to shorten the time and the use of high temperatures. Production of bentonite NiCl2-intercalated catalyst calcined at a temperature of 600 °C for 2 hours and characterized using SEM. A cracking temperature was conducted at 450 °C and 500 °C, then the product characterized using GC-MS. The chromatogram’s result showed the presence of new compounds. The new compounds are methyl formate (C5H10O2); methyl undecanoate (C12H24O2); 1,3-propanediol (C5H12O2); nonanoic acid (C11H22O2), and 1,2-dioxolane (C10H20O2).