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The production of biodiesel was investigated using a new reaction system consisting of a reactor coupled to an adsorption column. The esterification reaction was carried out above the boiling points of methanol and water to evaporate the water produced during the reaction. A condenser placed above the adsorption column was responsible for condensing the water and methanol vapor, returning water-free methanol to the reactor after passing through the adsorption column. The adsorption system was employed to remove the water produced during the reaction to shift the equilibrium toward fatty acid methyl ester production. Biodiesel was produced by the esterification reaction of oleic acid and methanol, using sulfuric acid as catalyst. The results showed that the new reaction system yielded up to 99.7% biodiesel, while the highest yield obtained using the traditional agitated batch reactor was 88.2%. The best operating condition was found when the reactor was operated at 100 °C, 1% catalyst (w/w), and with an oleic acid to methanol ratio of 3:1.

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