Currently, humanity is facing two existential problems: the constant reduction of fossil fuel supplies, primarily crude oil, and global climate change, which is a direct consequence of the increasing use of fossil fuels both in industry and in the transport sector[1,2].One of the possible solutions for these problems arebiofuels, fuels obtained from renewable raw materials, as it isbiodiesel [2], which attracted attention due to characteristics such as high degradability, non-toxicity and low emission of carbon monoxide, particulate matter and unburned hydrocarbons, as well as the possibility of being used either in a mixture with fossil with diesel or independently as 100% biodiesel fuel[3,4,5,6].Heterogeneous catalysts in transesterification processes, i.e. biodiesel production, have been an area of significant and extensive research for many years.It is noticeable that there are significantly fewer works in which the application of Ca(OH)2, was investigated, and the published works show conflicting results, both in terms of its catalytic activity and in terms of the achieved yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME).The main goal of this work was to analyze the physico-chemical, chemical, mineralogical, morphological and surface characteristics of hydrated lime produced by Stamal Ltd.Kreševo, with the aim of examining the possibility of its application as a catalyst in the process of transesterification of vegetable oils.The obtained results unequivocally show that by using this hydrated lime as a catalyst in the transesterification process of rapeseed oil, it is possible to achieve a yield of methyl esters that meets the minimum limit of 96.5% prescribed by the European standard for biodiesel, EN 14214. KEYWORDS:biodiesel, heterogeneous catalysts, hydrated lime

In this research, the possibility of using Ca(OH)2 in the form of commercial hydrated lime as a catalyst for the methanolysis of refined rapeseed oil was evaluated. Characterization of unused catalyst was performed by SEM-EDS, laser diffraction, XRF, BET, XRD and TG/DTG methods, and vegetable oil was analyzed for physicochemical characteristics. Within methanolysis, the effects of catalyst loading, reaction temperature and reaction time on methyl ester yield, density and viscosity of biodiesel, as well as the possibility of catalyst reuse were investigated. The obtained results showed that hydrated lime is an efficient catalyst for transesterification of vegetable oil, whereby the use of 3 wt% of catalyst relative to oil weight, at temperature 60℃ and mixing rate 1000 rpm after 120 min of transesterification reaction achieved a yield of methyl esters 98.76%. With three reuses of hydrated lime, without intermediate washing and regeneration procedures, the yield of rapeseed oil methyl ester remained above 90%.

Biodizel je naziv za gorivo dobiveno iz obnovljivih izvora koje se može upotrebljavati u nemodificiranim dizelskim motorima umjesto uobičajenog fosilnog dizelskog goriva. Biodizel je ustvari komercijalni naziv za smjesu metilnog estera, koja se danas može naći na tržištu tekućih goriva, prije svega u EU-u, gdje se i prodaje krajnjim korisnicima. Globalna proizvodnja biodizela u 2014. godini premašila je 30 milijardi litara od čega oko 39 % otpada na EU.1 Kao osnovna sirovina za dobivanje biodizela mogu poslužiti svi izvori biomase bogati triacilglicerolima. U prvom redu tu spadaju jestiva biljna ulja, zatim nejestiva, otpadna i upotrijebljena ulja, kao i životinjske masti. Metanoliza biljnih ulja može biti podijeljena na osnovu prisutnosti i vrste katalizatora ili topljivosti katalizatora u reakcijskoj smjesi. Ovisno o tome odvija li se reakcija metanolize s ili bez prisutnosti katalizatora, metanoliza može biti katalizirana i nekatalizirana. Kemijski katalizatori metanolize razlikuju se kako po svojoj prirodi tako i na osnovi njihove topljivosti u reakcijskoj smjesi. Ovisno o tome je li katalizator u reakcijskoj smjesi topljiv ili nije, kemijski katalizirana metanoliza može biti podijeljena na homogeno, heterogeno i homogeno-heterogeno kataliziranu metanolizu. Osnovna karakteristika homogeno katalizirane metanolize je otopljen katalizator u reakcijskoj smjesi. Homogeni katalizatori metanolize mogu biti lužine i kiseline. Najčešće istraživan i u komercijalnim procesima najčešće primjenjivan način dobivanja biodizela je metanoliza katalizirana lužinama. Proces transesterifikacije s lužnatim katalizatorom uobičajen je način proizvodnje biodizela iz rafiniranih biljnih ulja. Kao lužnati katalizatori najčešće se upotrebljavaju kalijev hidroksid (KOH), natrijev hidroksid (NaOH) i natrijev metoksid (NaOCH3). Unatoč brojnim prednostima homogeno katalizirane metanolize, glavni nedostatak joj je nemogućnost ponovne uporabe katalizatora. Pored toga, katalizator zaostaje u esterskoj frakciji, odakle ga je potrebno ukloniti, što se najčešće provodi višestrukim ispiranjem s vodom, a otpadna voda čini značajan problem za okoliš.2,3 Uporabom katalizatora koji se ne otapaju u reakcijskoj smjesi, pojednostavljuje se način izdvajanja i rafiniranja proizvoda, smanjuju okolišni problemi i omogućava ponovna uporaba katalizatora. Uporabom heterogenih katalizatora dobiva se kvalitetniji i čišći biodizel kao i glicerol, a zbog jednostavnijeg postupka i mogućnosti višestruke uporabe katalizatora danas se homogena kataliza sve više nastoji zamijeniti heterogenom.3,4,5 U posljednje vrijeme heterogeno katalizirana metanoliza vrlo se intenzivno istražuje. U različitim laboratorijskim istraživanjima heterogeno katalizirane metanolize upotrebljavan je velik broj različitih spojeva u funkciji katalizatora.6 Pri tome je mnogo pozornosti posvećeno istraživanju vrste, načina pripreme i količine heterogenog katalizatora, kao i uvjetima pri kojima se izvodi reakcija metanolize. Katalitička aktivnost heterogenih katalizatora ovisi o mnogo čimbenika, prije svega o njihovoj prirodi, veličini i specifičnoj površini čestica te primijenjenim uvjetima u kojima se reakcija izvodi.7 Između objavljenih rezultata ovih istraživanja postoje razlike oko optimalnih uvjeta procesa, pa čak i oko postojanja katalitičke aktivnosti nekih spojeva. Najveći broj istraživanja heterogeno katalizirane metanolize odnosi se na primjenu zemnoalkalijskih metala, točnije njihovih oksida kao katalizatora reakcije.3 Katalitička aktivnost oksida zemnoalkalijskih metala raste s povećanjem njihove bazičnosti i to redoslijedom;

Contact lenses suffer from two limitations: low oxygen permeability and deposition of protein and lipids. In order to prevent bioadhesion, surface must be completely inert to all biological reactions. To achieve this, surface properties must be tailored. Also, to improve comfort, surface must be highly wettable and lubricous. In this paper the surface of silicone contact lenses was modified by plasma induced copolymerization of acrylic acid. A wettable surface was generated and in addition carboxyl groups that were created on the surface provided an ideal reactive platform for subsequent grafting of polyethylene glycol. Each surface modification step was analysed by XPS and contact angle measurements. Lysozyme adsorption on modified silicone contact lenses was analysed by surface-MALDI-ToF-MS and XPS. After incubation with lysozyme, surface-MALDI-TOF-MS and XPS analysis showed a reduction of adsorbed lysozyme on hydrogel modified contact lenses. Surface modification of silicone with PEG is a method for reduction of protein adsorption on contact lenses.