Appliance of a high pressure semi-batch reactor: supercritical transesterification of soybean oil using methanol

Abstract

This work presents the results of a supercritical transesterification process of soybean oil using methanol, performed in a laboratory high pressure semi-batch reactor. A full description of the equipment and a standard operating procedure are also provided. Since fossil fuels are not renewable, biofuels such biodiesel, have gained attention over the past decades. Biodiesel is the result of the transesterification of triacylglycerols in vegetable oils or animal fats and it works as an alternative fuel for compression-ignition engines. Methanol was chosen to perform the reaction, at molar ratios of 1:24 (oil: alcohol) and 0.1 (CD 2 :methanol), temperature of 280 °C and pressure of 130 bar. On order to decrease the reaction time, CD 2 in the supercritical state was used as cosolvent. The yield of biodiesel produced was equal to 95.19% in only ten minutes of reaction. A high yield of methyl esters (84.41%) was detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. On general, 10 compounds were identified. The component in higher concentration was linoleate, followed by methyl hexadecanoate, oleic acid methyl ester and methyl stearate. The ester conversion rate means that the process with supercritical methanol can be successfully applied to produce biodiesel.

Analysis of Variances in Flame Length of Time For Maggot BSF Oil with Several Types of Oil

“…Animal feed can be made from the leftover debris of BSFL after lipid extraction due to its high protein content (≥ 32%, dry basis). BSFL naturally migrate from the substrate to a clean, high area before reaching the pupa stage [17], thus there is no need for them to go through an extra process of separating from food waste. Selfharvesting, another name for this natural activity, can assist in eliminating a laborintensive gathering method.…”

Supercritical transesterification route for biodiesel production: Effect of parameters on yield and future perspectives

“…So, to avoid a high rate of thermal decomposition in supercritical transesterification with maintaining high yield, other alternatives should be used such as the use of co‐solvents, continuous models for synthesis 108 sub‐supercritical followed by supercritical or two steps supercritical method with the removal of intermediary glycerine to reduce the temperature required. Operating temperature range is also a deciding factor for biodiesel production because at very high temperature, and pressure reactor material cannot be compromised due to the safety concern associated with the SCF method 109 . The strength of stainless steel decreases very rapidly with temperature, which led higher grade materials for reactors, resulting in higher cost 110 .…”

Postharvest engineering: Effects of drying and storage operations on the quality of processed soybeans

“…Several alcohols are used for the process, such as ethanol, butanol, and propanol. However, methanol has been widely applied, due to its physicochemical characteristics (boiling point, melting point, and density) and reduced cost (Costa et al, 2019). The soybean grain physicochemical characteristics fully affect transesterification reactions.…”