Continuous-flow Esterification of Free Fatty Acids in a Rotating Packed Bed

Abstract

The continuous-flow esterification of free fatty acids (FFAs) with methanol for the production of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) using a rotating packed bed (RPB) is presented herein. The RPB, which provides a high centrifugal force and has an adjustable rotational speed, was employed as a novel esterification reactor. The following variables were investigated for their effects on the esterification efficiency: the methanol-FFA molar ratio, the estimated hydraulic retention time, the rotational speed of the packed bed, the reaction temperature, and the catalyst dosage. The conversion of the FFAs in the RPB system significantly depended on the experimental conditions, which influenced the residence time distribution, the esterification reaction rate, and the micromixing intensity. Due to its excellent micromixing characteristics, the RPB system exhibited good efficiency for the esterification reaction in continuous-flow operation. The RPB system achieved the conversion of the FFAs of 10.0−96.6% and the p...