GLYCEROLYSIS USING KF/CAO-MGO CATALYST: OPTIMISATION AND REACTION KINETICS

Abstract

Monoglycerides can be produced through glycerolysis using a heterogeneous catalyst. The purpose of this study is to analyse the optimum conditions for the production of monoglycerides from glycerol and cooking oil using KF/CaO-MgO base catalysts and to investigate the kinetics of the monoglyceride glycerolysis reaction. The response surface method (RSM) was used to determine the favourable conditions by varying the catalyst amount (X1) between 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% (w/w); the reaction temperature (X2) between 210, 220 and 230°C and reaction time (X3) between 2, 3 and 4 hours. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the monoglycerides, while catalysts were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET). The results showed that, among the three factors examined, temperature shows the most control over this glycerolysis reaction. The most favourable conditions are X1 = 0.19% (w/w), X2 = 208.37°C and X3 = 3.20 hours, which provide a monoglyceride yield of 41.58%. The constants for the reaction kinetics of the monoglyceride formation, k1 and k2 are 1.04189 and 0.88965 hour-1, respectively.