A more robust model of the biodiesel reaction, allowing identification of process conditions for significantly enhanced rate and water tolerance.

A more robust kinetic model of base-catalysed transesterification than the conventional reaction scheme has been developed. All the relevant reactions in the base-catalysed transesterification of rapeseed oil (RSO) to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) were investigated experimentally, and validated numerically in a model implemented using MATLAB. It was found that including the saponification of RSO and FAME side reactions and hydroxide-methoxide equilibrium data explained various effects that are not captured by simpler conventional models. Both the experiment and modelling showed that the "biodiesel reaction" can reach the desired level of conversion (>95%) in less than 2min. Given the right set of conditions, the transesterification can reach over 95% conversion, before the saponification losses become significant. This means that the reaction must be performed in a reactor exhibiting good mixing and good control of residence time, and the reaction mixture must be quenched rapidly as it leaves the reactor.

[1]  Victor Rudolph,et al.  MgCoAl–LDH derived heterogeneous catalysts for the ethanol transesterification of canola oil to biodiesel , 2009 .

[2]  Shuli Yan,et al.  Advancements in Heterogeneous Catalysis for Biodiesel Synthesis , 2010 .

[3]  J. V. Gerpen,et al.  A Pilot Plant to Produce Biodiesel from High Free Fatty Acid Feedstocks , 2001 .

[4]  G. Ngoh,et al.  The evaluation of various kinetic models for base-catalyzed ethanolysis of palm oil. , 2012, Bioresource technology.

[5]  R. Glass.  Alcoholysis, saponification and the preparation of fatty acid methyl esters , 1971, Lipids.

[6]  S. Keera,et al.  Transesterification of vegetable oil to biodiesel fuel using alkaline catalyst , 2011 .

[7]  E. H. Pryde,et al.  Variables affecting the yields of fatty esters from transesterified vegetable oils , 1984 .

[8]  M. Hanna,et al.  THE EFFECTS OF CATALYST, FREE FATTY ACIDS, AND WATER ON TRANSESTERIFICATION OF BEEF TALLOW , 1998 .

[9]  Hilton A. Smith,et al.  Kinetics of the Saponification of the Ethyl Esters of Normal Aliphatic Acids , 1939 .

[10]  W. Daud,et al.  Activity of solid catalysts for biodiesel production: A review , 2009 .

[11]  A. Phan,et al.  Rapid Production of Biodiesel in Mesoscale Oscillatory Baffled Reactors , 2012 .

[12]  D. Firestone,et al.  Official methods and recommended practices of the American Oil Chemists' Society , 1990 .

[13]  G. Vicente,et al.  Integrated biodiesel production: a comparison of different homogeneous catalysts systems. , 2004, Bioresource technology.

[14]  D. Darnoko,et al.  Kinetics of palm oil transesterification in a batch reactor , 2000 .

[15]  M. P. Dorado,et al.  KINETIC PARAMETERS AFFECTING THE ALKALI-CATALYZED TRANSESTERIFICATION PROCESS OF USED OLIVE OIL , 2004 .

[16]  H. Levenson,et al.  Kinetics of the Saponification of the Ethyl Esters of Several Phenyl Substituted Aliphatic Acids1 , 1940 .

[17]  Havva Balat,et al.  Progress in biodiesel processing , 2010 .

[18]  Munir Cheryan,et al.  Continuous production of palm methyl esters , 2000 .

[19]  P. Nakpong,et al.  High free fatty acid coconut oil as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production in Thailand. , 2010 .

[20]  M. Matsumura,et al.  Kinetics of hydroxide‐catalyzed methanolysis of crude sunflower oil for the production of fuel‐grade methyl esters , 2007 .

[21]  W. Reeve,et al.  A new method for the determination of the relative acidities of alcohols in alcoholic solutions. The nucleophilicities and competitive reactivities of alkoxides and phenoxides , 1979 .

[22]  S. Neves,et al.  Kinetic Study of Alcoholysis of the Fatty Acids Catalyzed by Tin Chloride(II) : An Alternative Catalyst for Biodiesel Production , 2009 .

[23]  H. Noureddini,et al.  Kinetics of transesterification of soybean oil , 1997 .

[24]  A. A. Perchenko,et al.  Process kinetics of neutralization of fatty acids from oxidized paraffin with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution , 1977 .

[25]  Elio Santacesaria,et al.  Heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production , 2008 .

[26]  E. H. Pryde,et al.  Transesterification kinetics of soybean oil 1 , 1986 .

[27]  G. Vicente,et al.  Kinetics of Sunflower Oil Methanolysis , 2005 .

[28]  J. H. Van Gerpen,et al.  A pilot plant to produce biodiesel from high free fatty acid feedstocks. , 2003 .