The thermal stability of sodium (Na) metal supported by activated carbon (Na/AC) catalyst for fatty acid methyl ester production / Muhammad Fikri Nor Azhar

Sodium is a chemical element in the periodic table that belongs to group 1 and is also known as an alkali metal because elements in group 1 will produce alkali when reacted with water, and it can be used as a catalyst to produce fatty acid methyl ester by transesterification. Before it can be utilized in the process, we should know how stable the catalyst is when being heated, because the catalyst can be broken down into its components if it is overheated. So, I experimented to investigate the thermal stability of sodium metal catalysts for fatty acid methyl ester production. The objectives of this experiment are to determine the effects of temperature on the mass loss of sodium (Na) metal catalysts and the effects of temperature on the mass loss of carbonized oil palm kernel shell (OPKS). As a starter, I rinsed the OPKS with clean water and then left it under the sun to dry. Next, I heat the OPKS for 4 hours in two different furnaces at 800°C and 900°C, respectively. Then, I let the furnaces cool down for several hours before I brought the OPKS out. The carbonized OPKS or also known as activated carbon (AC), is sieved using a 250 μm sieve to separate the ashes from it. The process followed by the impregnation of OPKS with sodium from sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in a pellet form which needs to be diluted with distilled water before being mixed with the OPKS. After the impregnation process is done, put the AC-Na mixture in the furnace again at 500°C for 3 hours and let the furnace cool down after that before bringing the activated carbon out of the furnace. The next step in the experiment is I analyse the samples of carbonized OPKS and AC-Na by putting them in the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) instrument to study the effects of temperature on the mass loss of carbonized OPKS and sodium metal catalyst. The results of the analysis will be shown in the Result and Discussion section, which includes reasons why the materials used have a mass loss after being heated. In conclusion, the temperature does have an effect on the mass loss of the carbonized OPKS and sodium metal, which are having a significant drop in mass when being heated at certain temperatures, and it can be proven by looking at the graph of the TGA. For the recommendation, I hope that future researchers will add the sample used for the analysis, which is being heated at many more temperatures, to show how the mass loss occurred at any temperature, like every 50 °C, 100 °C, and so on.