Jump to content



Featured Articles

Check out the latest featured articles.

File Library

Check out the latest downloads available in the File Library.

New Article

Product Viscosity vs. Shear

Featured File

Vertical Tank Selection

New Blog Entry

Low Flow in Pipes- posted in Ankur's blog

Designing Esterification And Transesterification Reactor In Biodiesel

biodiesel reactor

This topic has been archived. This means that you cannot reply to this topic.
2 replies to this topic
Share this topic:
| More

#1 PhotonBlast

PhotonBlast

    Brand New Member

  • Validating
  • Pip
  • 2 posts

Posted 29 June 2016 - 04:20 AM

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.


#2 sine

sine

    Brand New Member

  • Members
  • 1 posts

Posted 15 July 2016 - 03:12 AM

Hello sir ,

I am also doing project on esterification and transesterirication for biodiesel production. for your specific questoin, after mixing is stopped and reaction product will be poured into a separating vessel and left for 4 hr to separate into two phases: a top phase (the oily phase, consisting of oil) and a bottom phase (the waste phase or black phase, consisting of water, un-reacted ethanol, sulfuric acid and gummy material)



#3 PhotonBlast

PhotonBlast

    Brand New Member

  • Validating
  • Pip
  • 2 posts

Posted 20 July 2016 - 08:33 PM

Hello sir ,

I am also doing project on esterification and transesterirication for biodiesel production. for your specific questoin, after mixing is stopped and reaction product will be poured into a separating vessel and left for 4 hr to separate into two phases: a top phase (the oily phase, consisting of oil) and a bottom phase (the waste phase or black phase, consisting of water, un-reacted ethanol, sulfuric acid and gummy material)

Thank You for your answer, sir.

 

What I want to ask:

The sequence of the process is Esterification ->TransEsterification-->Settling Tank?

 

Thank You

 

Khodi






Similar Topics