Esterification of Fatty Acids with Short-Chain Alcohols over Commercial Acid Clays in a Semi-Continuous Reactor

Soumaya Bouguerra Neji, Mahmoud Trabelsi and Mohamed H. Frikha
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Soumaya Bouguerra Neji: Laboratory of Applied Chemistry: Heterocycles, Fats and Polymers, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Route de Soukra Km 3.5, 3038-Sfax, Tunisia
Mahmoud Trabelsi: Laboratory of Applied Chemistry: Heterocycles, Fats and Polymers, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Route de Soukra Km 3.5, 3038-Sfax, Tunisia
Mohamed H. Frikha: Laboratory of Applied Chemistry: Heterocycles, Fats and Polymers, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Route de Soukra Km 3.5, 3038-Sfax, Tunisia

Energies, 2009, vol. 2, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: Production of fatty acid esters from stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids and short-chain alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol) for the production of biodiesel was investigated in this work. A series of montmorillonite-based clays catalysts (KSF, KSF/0, KP10, and K10) were used as acidic catalysts. The influence of the specific surface area and the acidity of the catalysts on the esterification rate were investigated. The best catalytic activities were obtained with KSF/0 catalyst. The esterification reaction has been carried out efficiently in a semi-continuous reactor at 150°C temperature higher than the boiling points of water and alcohol. The reactor used enabled the continuous removal of water and esterification with hydrated alcohol (ethanol 95%) without affecting the original activity of the clay.

Keywords: esterification; montmorillonite; semi-continuous reactor; fatty acid; hydrated alcohol (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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