Effect of reaction conditions on the catalytic esterification of bio-oil

Piyarat Weerachanchai; Chaiyot Tangsathitkulchai; Malee Tangsathitkulchai

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.29, No.2, 182-189, February, 2012

DOI10.1007/s11814-011-0161-y Export Citation

Effect of reaction conditions on the catalytic esterification of bio-oil

Piyarat Weerachanchai, Chaiyot Tangsathitkulchai^†, and Malee Tangsathitkulchai¹

School of Chemical Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
¹School of Chemistry, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand

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Studies of bio-oil upgrading via esterification of palm shell bio-oil and alcohols employing acid catalysts were carried out in this work. The effects of esterification conditions on reaction conversion and product quality were investigated. Results indicated that esterification reaction using solid acid catalyst of Amberlyst15 enabled the conversion of organic acids in the bio-oil to esters and could also reduce certain amount of active aldehydes. The utilization of H2SO4 liquid catalyst was found to give higher conversion at the same reaction condition. Furthermore, higher reaction conversion to esters was achievable under conditions of higher temperature, longer reaction time, higher amounts of catalyst and alcohol and the use of shorter hydrocarbon chain of alcohol. Bio-oils, after being subjected to esterification, gave moderate heating value of 23-25 MJ/kg and improved fuel properties of decreased density, viscosity, carbon residue content, ash content, pour point and acidity.

Keywords:Pyrolysis;Bio-oil;Upgrading;Esterification;Acid Catalysts

[References]

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Doshi VA, Vuthaluru HB, Bastow T, Fuel Process. Technol., 86(8), 885 (2005)
Xu JM, Jiang JC, Sun YJ, Lu YJ, Biomass Bioenerg., 32(11), 1056 (2008)
Mahfud FH, Melian-Cabrera I, Manurung R, Heeres HJ, Process Saf. Environ. Prot., 85(B5), 466 (2007)
Zhang Q, Chang J, Wang TJ, Xu Y, Energy Fuels, 20(6), 2717 (2006)
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Marchetti JM, Errazu AF, Fuel., 87(15-16), 3477 (2008)
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[Referenced By]

[1] Park HJ, Heo HS, Yim JH, Jeon JK, Ko YS, Kim SS, Park YK, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 27(1), 73 (2010)

[2] Oasmaa A, Czernik S, Energy Fuels., 13(4), 914 (1994)

[3] Demirbas MF, Balat M, Energy Conv. Manag., 47(15-16), 2371 (2006)

[4] Diebold JP, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/SR-570-27613 (2000)

[5] Doshi VA, Vuthaluru HB, Bastow T, Fuel Process. Technol., 86(8), 885 (2005)

[6] Xu JM, Jiang JC, Sun YJ, Lu YJ, Biomass Bioenerg., 32(11), 1056 (2008)

[7] Mahfud FH, Melian-Cabrera I, Manurung R, Heeres HJ, Process Saf. Environ. Prot., 85(B5), 466 (2007)

[8] Zhang Q, Chang J, Wang TJ, Xu Y, Energy Fuels, 20(6), 2717 (2006)

[9] Weerachanchai P, Tangsathitkulchai C, Tangsathitkulchai M, JSAE/SAE International Fuels and Lubricants Meeting, Japan, 1223 (2007)

[10] Garcia-Perez M, Shen J, Wang XS, Li CZ, Fuel Process. Technol., 91(3), 296 (2010)

[11] Garcya-Perez M, Chaala A, Pakdel H, Kretschmer D, Roy C, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol., 78, 104 (2007)

[12] Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (2009). The evaluation of energy: Alternative fuels from cellulose for a better world [Online], Available: http://www.dynamotive.com/assets/resources/PDF/Corporate-Brochure.pdf.

[13] Yang ZQ, Xie WL, Fuel Process. Technol., 88(6), 631 (2007)

[14] Di Serio M, Tesser R, Dimiccoli M, Cammarota F, Nastasi M, Santacesaria E, J. Mol. Catal. A-Chem., 239(1-2), 111 (2005)

[15] Ji SX, Hoye TR, Macosko CW, Macromolecules, 38(11), 4679 (2005)

[16] Schmid GH, Organic chemistry, United States of America, Mosby (1996)

[17] Chan K, Tsai Y, Lin H, Lee M, J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. Eng., 41(4), 414 (2010)

[18] Marchetti JM, Errazu AF, Fuel., 87(15-16), 3477 (2008)

[19] Oxford University, 2005, Safety data for methyl alcohol [On-line], Available: http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/ME/methyl_alcohol.html.

[20] Oxford University, 2008, Safety data for ethyl alcohol absolute [Online], Available: http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/ET/ethyl_alcohol.html.