Continuous Methyl Ester Production Process from Refined Palm Oil Using 3D-Printed Static Mixers

2020 ◽  
Vol 998 ◽  
pp. 134-139
Author(s):  
Kritsakon Pongraktham ◽  
Krit Somnuk

The objective of this research was to study the methyl ester purity and pressure drop when the reactants flowed through the 3D-printed continuous static mixer reactor. The various types of 3D-printed mixing elements: KSM, LSM, SMX-3, SMX-4, SMX-5, SMV-3, SMV-4, and SMV-5 were inserted into the tube to blend the refined palm oil (RPO) and potassium methoxide (CH3KO) during the transesterification process. Therefore, the comparison of various types and plug flow (PF) reactors in continuous methyl ester production was carried out to assessed the purity of methyl ester with the condition was 23.81 vol.% methanol and 11.8 wt.% KOH at 50°C temperature. The results showed that the pressure drop had increased when a flow rate of water was increased. The pressure drop in the continuous reactor increased to 29.9% of SMV-5, 19.9% of SMV-4, 12.0% of SMV-3, 7.0% of SMX-5, 7.0% of SMX-4, 7.0% of SMX-3, 3.6% of LSM and 0.9% of KSM when compared with the empty tube cases. According to biodiesel production, the purity of methyl ester decreased by 93.63% of SMV-5, 92.49% of SMV-4, 91.63% of SMV-3, 51.68% of SMX-5, 47.47% of LSM, 46.17% of SMX-4, 45.31% of SMX-3, 42.36% of KSM, and 12.28% of PF, respectively, when compared to the highest purities achieved with PF reactor. Thus, a 662% improvement in ester purity was obtained by using the SMV-5 reactor instead of the PF reactor within 360 mm.

2014 ◽  
Vol 931-932 ◽  
pp. 1038-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhdee Niseng ◽  
Krit Somnuk ◽  
Gumpon Prateepchaikul

In this work, response surface methodology (RSM), with 5-level and 2-factor central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize the condition of base-catalyzed transesterification from refined palm oil. The two main parameters; methanol concentration and potassium hydroxide concentration, were varied to investigate the effect on the methyl ester purity. The result indicated that the KOH concentration was the most significant to produce methyl ester (the lowest p-values occurs in all response models). From excel solver, full quadratic model was obtained for predicting the response surface models. The suitable condition: 23.81 vol.% methanol and 11.80 wt.% KOH under temperature of 60°C and reaction time of 60 min, is the optimum condition.


2013 ◽  
Vol 834-836 ◽  
pp. 550-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warakom Suwanthai ◽  
Vittaya Punsuvon ◽  
Pilanee Vaithanomsat

In this research, calcium methoxide was synthesized as solid base catalyst from quick lime for biodiesel production. The catalyst was further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflection fourier transform (ATR-FTIR) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopies (EDX) to evaluate its performance. The transesterification of refined palm oil using calcium methoxide and the process parameters affecting the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content such as catalyst concentration, methanol:oil molar ratio and reaction time were investigated. The results showed that the FAME content at 97% was achieved within 3 h using 3 %wt catalyst loading, 12:1 methanol:oil molar ratio and 65 °C reaction temperature. The result of FAME suggested calcium methoxide was the promising solid catalyst for substitution of the conventional liquid catalyst.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-376
Author(s):  
Igor Gáspár ◽  
Réka Neczpál

Membrane filtration process can be intensified by using static mixers inside tubular membranes. Most of commercial static mixers are optimized for mixing fluids, not for membrane filtration. We have developed new turbulence promoter geometries designed for intensification of permeate flux and retention without significant pressure drop along the membrane. In previous experiments, we used metallic turbulence promoters, but in this work, FDM 3D printing technology was used to create these improved geometries, which are new in membrane filtration and they have the same geometry as existing metallic versions. New 3D printed objects were tested with filtration of stable oil-in-water emulsion. Our experiments proved that 3D printed static mixers might be as effective as metallic versions. The effect on initial flux and retention of oil was very similar. Pressure drop along membrane was slightly higher (but significantly lower from pressure drop along the membrane resulted by commercial static mixers, designed only for mixing fluids). Higher pressure drop may be the result of rougher surface due the layer-technology of 3D printing. This negative effect can be reduced by using a smaller nozzle (which will produce smaller layers) or smoothing the surface. PLA is material easier for printing, but from these two materials, PETG is a better choice due its higher operating temperature and better water-resist properties too.


Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damanik ◽  
Ong ◽  
Mofijur ◽  
Tong ◽  
Silitonga ◽  
...  

Nowadays, increased interest among the scientific community to explore the Calophyllum inophyllum as alternative fuels for diesel engines is observed. This research is about using mixed Calophyllum inophyllum-palm oil biodiesel production and evaluation that biodiesel in a diesel engine. The Calophyllum inophyllum–palm oil methyl ester (CPME) is processed using the following procedure: (1) the crude Calophyllum inophyllum and palm oils are mixed at the same ratio of 50:50 volume %, (2) degumming, (3) acid-catalysed esterification, (4) purification, and (5) alkaline-catalysed transesterification. The results are indeed encouraging which satisfy the international standards, CPME shows the high heating value (37.9 MJ/kg) but lower kinematic viscosity (4.50 mm2/s) due to change the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) composition compared to Calophyllum inophyllum methyl ester (CIME). The average results show that the blended fuels have higher Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) and NOx emissions, lower Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE), along with CO and HC emissions than diesel fuel over the entire range of speeds. Among the blends, CPME5 offered better performance compared to other fuels. It can be recommended that the CPME blend has great potential as an alternative fuel because of its excellent characteristics, better performance, and less harmful emission than CIME blends.


2014 ◽  
Vol 692 ◽  
pp. 133-138
Author(s):  
Athitan Timyamprasert ◽  
Vittaya Punsuvon ◽  
Kasem Chunkao ◽  
Juan L. Silva ◽  
Tae Jo Kim

The aim of this research was to develop a two-step technique to prepare biodiesel from waste palm oil (WPO) with high free fatty acid content. The developed process consists of esterification and transesterification steps. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for investigating the experimental design for esterification step. Design of experiment was performed by application of 5-levels-3-factors central composite design in order to study the optimum condition for decreasing FFA in WPO. The WPO with low FFA was further experimented in transesterification step to obtain fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). The investigated results showed that the WPO containing 48.62%wt of high FFA. The optimum condition of esterification step was 28 moles of methanol to FFA in WPO molar ratio, 5.5% sulfuric acid concentration in 90 min of reaction time and 60 °C of reaction temperature. After transesterification step, WPO biodiesel gave methyl ester content at 84.05% according to EN 14103 method. The properties of WPO methyl ester meet the standards of Thailand community biodiesel that can be used as fuel in agricultural machine.


2014 ◽  
Vol 917 ◽  
pp. 87-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suliana Abu Bakar ◽  
Suzana Yusup ◽  
Murni Melati Ahmad ◽  
Armando T. Quitain ◽  
Mitsuru Sasaki ◽  
...  

The production of biodiesel from crude palm oil (CPO) using microwave technique is investigated and has been compared with conventional heating. Two-step biodiesel production process is applied to maximize the highest biodiesel yield in short reaction time using microwave method. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) as acid catalysts is used in pre-treatment of feedstock by esterification process followed by potassium hydroxide (KOH) as base catalyst for transesterification process with low methanol to oil ratio. The main purpose of the pre-treatment process is to reduce the free fatty acids (FFA) content of CPO from higher value of FFA content (>6.8%) to a minimum level for biodiesel production (<1%). Esterification and transesterification is carried out in fully instrumented and controlled microwave reactor system to get higher yield in shorter time. This two-step esterification and transesterification process showed that the maximum conversion of palm biodiesel obtained is 95.1% with the process conditions of methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 6:1, reaction temperature 65oC, reaction time 15min, and 2% (wt/wt) KOH amount using microwave method compared to conventional heating where the palm oil methyl ester (POME) yield obtained is 81% at the same conditions. The result showed that, the biodiesel production using microwave technique proved to be a fast and easy route to get high yields of biodiesel.


Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 734
Author(s):  
Papasanee Muanruksa ◽  
Phavit Wongsirichot ◽  
James Winterburn ◽  
Pakawadee Kaewkannetra

An integrated cleaner biocatalyst process was performed for biodiesel production from crude palm oil (CPO) and refined palm oil (RPO). It was evaluated on process efficiency in terms of high purity of biodiesel as well as by-products without purification, less wastewater, less time consuming, and a simple downstream process. A first saponification step was carried out in both f CPO and RPO, a high purity of glycerol (86.25% and 87.5%) was achieved, respectively, while free fatty acids (FFASs) in soap were obtained after hexane extraction. High yields of FFASs were obtained from both CPO and RPO (98.83% and 90.94%). Subsequently, the FFAs were esterified to biodiesel by a biocatalyst of immobilized lipase. The highest biodiesel yields achieved were of 92.14% and 92.58% (CPO and RPO). Remarkably, biodiesel yields obtained from CPO and RPO achieved satisfactory values and the biocatalyst used could be reused for more than 16–17 cycles.


2015 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 697-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nanthana Sootchiewcharn ◽  
Lalita Attanatho ◽  
Prasert Reubroycharoen

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document