Abstract
Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a lower-value by-product obtained during the refining of palm oil and contained high amount of free fatty acid (FFA). However, it’s a potentially valuable and low-cost raw material for the production of biodiesel through esterification process. Esterification of FFA using the conventional batch faces a challenge since it is low in productivity and requires high excess of reactant so that it is not efficient for large-scale production. To overcome this problem, reactive distillation (RD) is the best candidate. RD is one of the most attractive equipment which provides potential benefits for the esterification reaction. To obtain an optimal design of the RD, an accurate model and simulation of the process is needed. In this work, a simulation study of biodiesel production from PFAD as feedstock using RD is presented by using ASPEN Plus v7.1. Two case studies of total reflux (case A) and recycled distillate (case B) were demonstrated. Close relation was found among high separation and high energy consumption in RD. Two models of RD show the more economical heat duty of both condenser and reboiler. Effect of L/F ratio, number of stages in reaction zone, and model of RD to conversion of esterification reaction were discussed. Keywords: biodiesel, esterification, PFAD, reactive distillationAbstrakSuatu produk hasil samping yang memiliki nilai ekonomi rendah, biasa dikenal sebagai Palm Fatty Acid Distilate (PFAD), diperoleh dari proses pemurnian minyak kelapa sawit. PFAD mengandung asam lemak bebas (FFA) tinggi, cukup potensial, dapat digunakan sebagai bahan baku produksi biodiesel melalui proses esterifikasi. Esterifikasi FFA dengan proses batch konvensional menghadapi tantangan karena produktivitasnya cukup rendah dan membutuhkan excess reaktan yang tinggi sehingga tidak efisien jika diterapkan untuk produksi skala besar. Reactive distillation (RD) dapat menjadi solusi untuk mengatasi masalah ini. RD merupakan alat yang berpotensi memberikan keuntungan dalam reaksi esterifikasi. Untuk mendapatkan desain yang optimal dari suatu RD, pemodelan yang akurat dan simulasi dari proses ini diperlukan. Di sini, dilakukan simulasi produksi biodiesel dari PFAD menggunakan RD dilakukan dengan ASPEN Plus v7.1. Dua kasus dipelajari, yaitu refluks total (kasus A) dan recycle distillate (kasus B) yang bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh rasio antara cairan yang dikembalikan ke kolom dengan feed (L/ F), dan variable variable desain. Semakin tinggi kemurnian dari hasil pemisahan, konsumsi energi yang dibutuhkan juga menjadi semakin besar. Perbandingan antara dua model dari kolom distilasi reaktif menunjukkan beban panas kondensor dan reboiler menjadi lebih ekonomis. Pengaruh perbandingan L/F, jumlah stage dalam zona reaksi, dan model kolom distilasi reaktif terhadap konversi reaksi esterifikasi akan di bahas di sini.Kata kunci: biodiesel, esterifikasi, PFAD, menara distilasi
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
