Abstract
Production of fatty acid esters from stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids and short-chain alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol) for the production of biodiesel was investigated in this work. A series of montmorillonite-based clays catalysts (KSF, KSF/0, KP10, and K10) were used as acidic catalysts. The influence of the specific surface area and the acidity of the catalysts on the esterification rate were investigated. The best catalytic activities were obtained with KSF/0 catalyst. The esterification reaction has been carried out efficiently in a semi-continuous reactor at 150°C temperature higher than the boiling points of water and alcohol. The reactor used enabled the continuous removal of water and esterification with hydrated alcohol (ethanol 95%) without affecting the original activity of the clay.
Highlights
The fatty acid esters constitute a group of useful chemical intermediates in the synthesis of several products such as amides, sulfonates and fatty alcohols
The most attractive biofuel is represented by biodiesel, which is a mixture of fatty acid methyl or ethyl esters, produced by a transesterification reaction performed on vegetable oils with methanol or ethanol
We report on the esterification of stearic, palmitic and oleic acids with short chain alcohols over acidic clays
Summary
The fatty acid esters constitute a group of useful chemical intermediates in the synthesis of several products such as amides, sulfonates and fatty alcohols These compounds can be applied as solvents, spreading or softening agents in polymers. The most popular solid acids catalyst used to produce esters were ion-exchange organic resins, such as Amberlyst-15 [7,8], zeolites [9,10,11], and silica-supported heteropoly acids [12,13] They have shown limitations in applicability for catalyzing esterification due to low thermal stability (Amberlyst-15 < 140 °C), mass transfer resistance (zeolites) [14,15], or loss of active acid sites in the presence of a polar medium (HPA/silica) [13]. The water formation during the reaction remains the principal handicap to develop suitable synthesis processes for fatty esters The elimination of this water using azeotropic solvents (i.e., xylene) or using large excess of alcohol was the major solutions applied to achieve good fatty ester yields.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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.
