Transesterification of Bio-Oils in a Binary Supercritical Mixture of Methanol and Carbon Dioxide: Parametric Effects on Yield and Selectivity
Abstract
Biodiesel is an oxygenated fuel created from renewable bio-oils and is usable in unmodified diesel engines. The conventional process for biodiesel production proceeds through transesterification of triglycerides using an alcohol, most often methanol, and a small amount of base to catalyze the reaction. This work illustrates a novel route for continuous biodiesel production that proceeds non-catalytically in a mixture of carbon dioxide and methanol at elevated temperatures and pressures. The process utilizes carbon dioxide's ability to act as a solvent at high pressures and temperatures to reduce the amount of methanol necessary for the transesterification to proceed non-catalytically. The experiments were conducted in a 0.1 L Haynes® 282 alloy tubular reactor with a fixed molar ratio of 28:1 methanol to triglyceride and a carbon dioxide flow rate of 3 SLPM. The space time varied from 30 seconds to 90 seconds, the reactor pressure from 1500 psig to 4500 psig, and the temperature ranged from 240°C to 320°C.
Recommended Citation
A. Gonzales et al., "Transesterification of Bio-Oils in a Binary Supercritical Mixture of Methanol and Carbon Dioxide: Parametric Effects on Yield and Selectivity," Proceedings of the 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting (2012, Pittsburgh, PA), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Nov 2011.
Meeting Name
2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting (2012: Oct. 28-Nov. 2, Pittsburgh, PA)
Department(s)
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
02 Nov 2011
