Incorporating silica synthesized from rice husk ash into a calcium oxide catalyst for biodiesel production

Misbahudin Alhanif; Mustafa Mustafa; Andri Cahyo Kumoro; Yoyon Wahyono; Hanif Fawwaz Zaim; Nurul Afifah Zahra

doi:10.14710/reaktor.0.0.%p

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/reaktor.0.0.%25p

Incorporating silica synthesized from rice husk ash into a calcium oxide catalyst for biodiesel production

*Misbahudin Alhanif

- Chemical Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu Street, Way Huwi, Lampung Selatan, Indonesia 35365, Indonesia

Mustafa Mustafa - Chemical Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu Street, Way Huwi, Lampung Selatan, Indonesia 35365, Indonesia

Andri Cahyo Kumoro - Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University, Prof. Soedarto SH Street, Semarang, Indonesia 50275, Indonesia

Yoyon Wahyono - Center for Sustainable Production Systems and Life Cycle Assessment Research, National Research and Innovation Agency, Prof. BJ. Habibie Complex, Banten, Indonesia 15314, Indonesia

Hanif Fawwaz Zaim - Chemical Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu Street, Way Huwi, Lampung Selatan, Indonesia 35365, Indonesia

Nurul Afifah Zahra - Chemical Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu Street, Way Huwi, Lampung Selatan, Indonesia 35365, Indonesia

Published: .

BibTex Citation Data :

@article{Reaktor77461,
    author = {Misbahudin Alhanif and Mustafa Mustafa and Andri Kumoro and Yoyon Wahyono and Hanif Zaim and Nurul Zahra},
    title = {Incorporating silica synthesized from rice husk ash into a calcium oxide catalyst for biodiesel production},
    journal = {Reaktor},
  volume = {25},
    number = {2},
    year = {2025},
    keywords = {},
    abstract = {  Biodiesel represents a promising renewable energy alternative to either substitute or be blended with conventional diesel, offering advantages such as a high cetane number, reduced sulfur (SOx) and CO₂ emissions, and greater environmental sustainability. The application of calcium oxide (CaO) as a basic catalyst in biodiesel production has been extensively reported. However, its catalytic performance is limited by its sensitivity to moisture, which can negatively affect the reaction rate. In addition, some of the Ca 2+  ions in the catalyst can dissolve in the mixture of biodiesel and glycerol, causing product contamination. This study aims to combine a CaO catalyst from marble powder with sulfonated silica (SiO 2 ) from rice husk ash (RHA) to enhance the distribution of catalyst particles, reduce crystallinity, and increase the surface area of the catalyst. This study was conducted through chemical and thermal activation of SiO 2  from RHA, sulfonation of SiO 2 , thermal activation of CaO from marble powder waste, and impregnation of CaO/SiO 2  catalyst with variations in CaO/SiO 2  composition (25%:75%, 50%:50%, 75%:25%). The results showed that the purity of SiO 2  and CaO obtained through chemical and thermal activation was 93.67% and 99.13%, respectively. The sulfonation process on SiO 2  successfully added –SO 3  groups at 36.5%, which supported the formation of acid sites on the catalyst. Characterization showed that the surface morphology was composed of particles measuring 2–8 µm with a dominant amorphous structure. The addition of SiO 2  gave rise to new crystal peaks but decreased the crystal intensity, especially at the 50%:50% composition. The composition of CaO/SiO 2  at 75%:25% showed the best physical properties with a surface area of 22.24 m²/g, a pore volume of 65.29 mm³/g, and a pore diameter of 11.74 nm, indicating high potential as a bifunctional catalyst for biodiesel esterification–transesterification.    },
   issn = {2407-5973},  doi = {10.14710/reaktor.0.0.%p},
    url = {https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/reaktor/article/view/77461}
}

Citation Format:

Abstract

Biodiesel represents a promising renewable energy alternative to either substitute or be blended with conventional diesel, offering advantages such as a high cetane number, reduced sulfur (SOx) and CO₂ emissions, and greater environmental sustainability. The application of calcium oxide (CaO) as a basic catalyst in biodiesel production has been extensively reported. However, its catalytic performance is limited by its sensitivity to moisture, which can negatively affect the reaction rate. In addition, some of the Ca²⁺ ions in the catalyst can dissolve in the mixture of biodiesel and glycerol, causing product contamination. This study aims to combine a CaO catalyst from marble powder with sulfonated silica (SiO₂) from rice husk ash (RHA) to enhance the distribution of catalyst particles, reduce crystallinity, and increase the surface area of the catalyst. This study was conducted through chemical and thermal activation of SiO₂ from RHA, sulfonation of SiO₂, thermal activation of CaO from marble powder waste, and impregnation of CaO/SiO₂ catalyst with variations in CaO/SiO₂ composition (25%:75%, 50%:50%, 75%:25%). The results showed that the purity of SiO₂ and CaO obtained through chemical and thermal activation was 93.67% and 99.13%, respectively. The sulfonation process on SiO₂ successfully added –SO₃ groups at 36.5%, which supported the formation of acid sites on the catalyst. Characterization showed that the surface morphology was composed of particles measuring 2–8 µm with a dominant amorphous structure. The addition of SiO₂ gave rise to new crystal peaks but decreased the crystal intensity, especially at the 50%:50% composition. The composition of CaO/SiO₂ at 75%:25% showed the best physical properties with a surface area of 22.24 m²/g, a pore volume of 65.29 mm³/g, and a pore diameter of 11.74 nm, indicating high potential as a bifunctional catalyst for biodiesel esterification–transesterification.

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Funding: The authors gratefully acknowledge the Directorate of Research, Technology, and Community Service, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, for providing financial support through the Penelitian Dosen Pemula (PDP) scheme under contract nu

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Section: Research Article

Language : EN

In Volume 25 No.2 August 2025

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