Abstract

Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils through transesterification. Triglyceride mixtures extracted from oilseed feedstocks are upgraded by reaction with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to produce fatty acid esters. This reaction produces a mixture of esters, glycerin, alcohol, and catalyst. Separation of the fatty acid esters (biodiesel) and glycerin can be accomplished through liquid-liquid extraction by water addition. Designing liquid-liquid extraction with water as the solvent requires ternary liquid-liquid equilibrium data for mixtures of water, glycerin, and fatty acid esters. Ternary mixture LLE data have been experimentally measured for several of these systems. Those measured include mixtures with the methyl esters of lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids. Data were collected at atmospheric pressure and 60°C. These ternary systems have been correlated using the NRTL equation. These data and correlation parameters can be used to improve separations efficiency in trans-esterified biodiesel fuels.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Chemical Engineering

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