Abstract
AbstractHydrolysis of esters of higher fatty acids by subcritical water, performed in a flow‐through tubular reactor, was investigated at temperatures from 280 up to 340 °C and pressures exceeding 12 MPa, using an ester/water ratio of 1 : 2 or 1 : 4 (vol/vol). The kinetics of the hydrolysis of both the triacylglycerols and the methyl esters obeyed the rate equation valid for first‐order reactions. Conversion of the esters to free fatty acids exceeding 95% was reached at the temperature of 340 °C during 12 min. IR spectroscopy revealed structural changes in the chains of the unsaturated fatty acids and their partial polymerization during the hydrolysis.
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