Scientists at the Royal Institute of Technology in Melbourne in Australia have discovered an easy and simple way to convert vegetable oil, food waste and plastic waste into cheap fuel. To do this, the specialists used a new type of ultra-efficient catalyst that helps to produce low-carbon biodiesel. A new technique called orthogonal tandem catalysis is described in an article published in the journal Nature Catalysis.
A team of specialists produced a highly porous, micron-sized ceramic sponge containing various active ingredients, including sulfated zirconia and nanoparticles of magnesium monoxide. Fat molecules first enter large pores (macropores) with a diameter of 100-500 nanometers, the inner surface of which is covered with zirconium dioxide, and enter into the first purification reaction, and then penetrate into smaller pores (mesopores), where the second stage of catalysis occurs.
The orthogonal tandem catalysis scheme prevents the formation of unwanted by-products, since the active sites of the catalyst are spatially separated and act in succession. Otherwise, the reagent reacts with active sites in a random order, and individual components of the catalyst may interfere with the reaction carried out by other components.
According to a press release from the study on Phys.org, this catalysis method can efficiently produce biofuels from agricultural waste such as rice bran, cashew nuts and castor bean seed shells. With further development, new catalysts can be easily adapted to produce jet fuel from agricultural and forestry waste, old rubber tires and even algae.
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