title: Investigation to biodiesel production by the two-step homogeneous base-catalyzed transesterification.
abstract: For the two-step transesterification biodiesel production made from the sunflower oil, based on the kinetics model of the homogeneous base-catalyzed transesterification and the liquid-liquid phase equilibrium of the transesterification product, the total methanol/oil mole ratio, the total reaction time, and the split ratios of methanol and reaction time between the two reactors in the stage of the two-step reaction are determined quantitatively. In consideration of the transesterification intermediate product, both the traditional distillation separation process and the improved separation process of the two-step reaction product are investigated in detail by means of the rigorous process simulation. In comparison with the traditional distillation process, the improved separation process of the two-step reaction product has distinct advantage in the energy duty and equipment requirement due to replacement of the costly methanol-biodiesel distillation column.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Jianchu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sha
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D002384:Catalysis; D003198:Computer Simulation; D057168:Distillation; D004951:Esterification; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide