Abstract
The base-catalyzed ethanolysis of soybean oil and waste cooking oil (WCO) was investigated in two types of continuous reactors (microreactor and T-mixer) and in a batch reactor. Flow rate, ethanol/oil ratio and concentration of catalyst were varied according to the design of experiments in continuous reaction systems. Regression analysis was carried out concerning the obtained product yields. Based on this analysis optimal conditions in different reactors types with soybean oil, fresh and WCO were determined. While the increased flow rate was unfavorable in the MX-mixer, it contributed to a great positive impact in the T-mixer system at flow rates higher than 2.2 mL/min. The soybean oil provides a slightly lower yield maximum (96.7%) than the fresh cooking oil (97.9%) and the waste cooking oil (97.5%). Therefore, the mix of vegetable oils in the cooking oil is more suitable for ethanolysis reaction than the soybean oil.
Highlights
Biodiesel is a promising alternative to diesel, which is gained from fossil resources
An opposite effect can be observed at higher flow rates
43.9% obtained in [15] with a flow rate of 0.535 mL/min and otherwise equal experimental conditions in the MX-V reactor system could be exceeded using a higher flow rate = 5.09 mL/min, a molar ethanol/oil ratio = 11:1 and catalyst concentration = 0.86 wt.-%, leading to 90.8% FAEE. These results show very clearly that an excess of alcohol has a positive influence on the reaction yield
Summary
Biodiesel is a promising alternative to diesel, which is gained from fossil resources. Biodiesel from vegetable oils provides lower carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emission compared to fossil fuels and, has a smaller environmental impact [1]. Biodiesel is industrially produced through transesterification of high fatty acids (triacylglycerols), which are mostly gained from soybean, rapeseed and palm oil [2], and methanol or ethanol as aliphatic alcohol in a base-catalyzed transesterification reaction. Since methanol is obtained from mineral oil, ethanol can be produced in the fermentation process from biomass. The food industry is deprived if using soybean oil or other cooking oils for biodiesel production. Applying waste cooking oil or non-edible oils like algae oil for the ethanolysis provides environmentally friendlier biodiesel [3]. The suitability of the oil for the reaction depends on the number of triacylglycerols [2]
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