Features of Epoxidation of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters in a Bubble Reactor

Abstract

The patterns of epoxidation of linoleic acid methyl ester in a mixture of methyl esters of sunflower oil fatty acids with atmospheric oxygen in a bubble column reactor are analyzed at various feed rates of the gas phase. It was found that the oxidation process takes place in the transition region, under diffusion control conditions. The contributions of the diffusion and kinetic components to the rate of oxidative epoxidation of fatty acid methyl esters are determined. It was established that the selectivity of the epoxidation reaction decreases with the transition of the oxidation process from the diffusion region to the kinetic.