Magnetic materials enriched with strontium : a study of the use as catalysts in the transesterification reaction of babassu oil

Abstract

This work described a new magnetic material enriched with strontium as catalyst to produce babassu biodiesel. The use of magnetic materials has attracted attention due to easy and fast separation from reaction medium. Moreover, they are ecologically correct, due to they generate less discards to the environment. Techniques of analysis and characterization were carried out to check the synthesis of magnetite and strontium ferrite, besides to verify the presence of hydroxide and carbonate in the structure of the strontium oxide. The best catalytic activities presented conversions of 78.6% and 89.7% when using the catalysts SrO/Fe3O4 and SrO/SrFe2O4, respectively. Density studies of the alkali active sites were performed to elucidate the best activity for the catalyst composed with SrFe2O4.