Poly (sodium acrylate) supporting NaOH (NaOH/NaPAA) was
designed and prepared as a functional superabsorbent/catalyst
system to overcome the negative effect of water content on the
base-catalyzed transesterification for biodiesel production. Having
a promising selectivity for water absorbency with negligible swelling
capacity in the organic solvents of alcohols and esters and good
water retention, the functional NaOH/NaPAA system exhibited a
good water resistance in the transesterification of rubber seed oil
with methanol. This functional superabsorbent/catalyst system
opens the possibility to use not refined vegetable oils and alcohols
as transesterification reagents, thus making a wide portfolio of raw
materials available for biodiesel production.