Dear fellows cheresources
My name is Khodi. This is my first post.
I was assigned to design Esterification and Transesterification reactor. The dimension of the reactor was easy since the process is batch mode.
Here the brief process:
Esterification (Reduce FFA content):
FFA is reacted with methanol catalyzed by H2SO4
Transesterification
CPO is reacted with methanol catalyzed by NaOH to produce Biodiesel (FAME)
What i dont understand with the process is that After Esterification Process, the product (which H2SO4 still inside) is directly sent to Transesterification Reactor.
So, the question is:
Is that okay to directly sent the CPO to the transesterification reactor without neutralizing the H2O4 first?
The purpose of neutralizing is to keep the quality of CPO? Keep away H2SO4 from Transesterification Reactor (because we use NaOH)? or something else?
I have read several industrial process about this and always end up the product should be neutralized first but does not give clear understanding the reason.
I have asked my boss (obviously), but he told me it is fine since we add Excess NaOH in Transesterification Reactor and it should cover the remaining H2SO4.
Is this really okay? I know the fact that my boss isway smarter than me, but this doesnt feel right since the mechanism of the reaction would be different and other thing might happen.
Thanks You.
Khodi
Edited by sofakhodi, 29 June 2016 - 04:23 AM.