Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.42, No.3, 539-548, 2019
Rapid Screening of an Acid-Catalyzed Triglyceride Transesterification in a Mesoscale Reactor
A mesoscale oscillatory baffled reactor (meso-OBR) served as a continuous screening platform to rapidly investigate the operating conditions for acid-catalyzed production of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) from triglyceride feedstock. The acid catalyst was 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) and the triglyceride feedstock was rapeseed oil (RSO). The parameter space was explored by means of a design of experiments (DoE) methodology. The variables screened were methanol-to-RSO molar ratio, catalyst-to-oil molar ratio, and residence time. Over 98 % conversion of RSO to FAME could be achieved under optimized conditions.
Keywords:Acid catalysis;Biodiesel process;Fatty acid methyl ester;Oscillatory baffled reactor;Triglyceride transesterification