Author(s)

Deborah A. dos Santos, Valdemar Lacerda^*, Júlia Tristão do C. Rocha, Reginaldo B. dos Santos, Sandro J. Greco, Alvaro C. Neto, Renzo C. Silva, Eustáquio V. R. de Castro

Chemistry Department, Espírito Santo Federal University, Vitória, Brazil.
Chemistry Department, Espírito Santo Federal University, Vitória, Brazil.

In general, esterification reactions are favored by the increase in reaction temperature, excess of one of the reactants (usually alcohol), and additions of acid or basis catalysts. Esterification of oleic acid with methanol catalyzed by Nb₂O₅·nH₂O calcined at different temperatures showed good conversion rates, especially at reaction temperature of 100°C and higher catalyst proportions. PLS calibration showed good results for predicting the amounts of methyl oleate in reaction products.

Nb₂O₅·nH₂O; Calcination; Fatty Acid; PLS Calibration

D. Santos, V. Lacerda, J. Rocha, R. Santos, S. Greco, A. Neto, R. Silva and E. Castro, "Effect of Nb₂O₅·nH₂O Termal Treatment on the Esterification of a Fatty Acid," Modern Research in Catalysis, Vol. 2 No. 3, 2013, pp. 63-67. doi: 10.4236/mrc.2013.23010.