Biodiesel fuel production with solid amorphous-zirconia catalysis in fixed bed reactor

Amorphous zirconia catalysts, titanium-, aluminum-, and potassium-doped zirconias, were prepared and evaluated in the transesterification of soybean oil with methanol at 250 °C, and the esterification of n-octanoic acid with methanol at 175–200 °C. Titanium- and aluminum-doped zirconias are promising solid catalysts for the production of biodiesel fuels from soybean oil because of their high performance, with over 95% conversion in both of the esterifications.