Abstract
In this work, adsorption equilibrium constants, dispersion coefficients, and kinetic parameters were determined for the reversible esterification reaction of oleic acid with methanol, producing methyl oleate (biodiesel) and water. The reaction was carried out at room temperature in the presence of Amberlyst 15 resin, which acts both as an adsorbent and catalyst in an HPLC column, which served as a packed bed reactor. A quasi‐homogenous kinetic model coupled with a linear adsorption isotherm was explored. The elution profiles of the reactant and products were experimentally monitored and then compared with a mathematical model. The adsorption and kinetic parameters were determined by minimizing the error between the experimentally obtained elution curves and the model‐predicted values using the genetic algorithm optimization technique. Further experiments were conducted under varying conditions to establish the validity of the obtained model parameters. It was also found that the system is not affected by internal and external mass transfer resistances. The mathematical model predicted the experimental outcome quite accurately.
Published Version
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