Physicochemical characterization of dilute n-alcohol/biodiesel mixtures by inverse gas chromatography.
Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) has been used to determine the physicochemical parameters that characterize solution thermodynamic interactions in biodiesel-n-alcohol solute systems. Such data is of value to chemical engineers and separation scientists in optimizing separation processes to separate alcoholic solutes at low concentrations in soybean oil methyl ester mixtures (biodiesel). The derived activity and Henry's Law coefficient data can be used to rationalize the interaction of four members of an n-alcoholic homologous series and the soya-based methyl ester solvent in terms of such esters as "green" renewable solvents. Sorption isotherm data confirm linear behavior in most cases between the solute (alcohol) vapor state concentrations and their uptake into the biodiesel phase. Overall, the experimentally determined activity coefficients agree well with those predicted by solution thermodynamic theories as well as correlative chemical engineering equations.
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Arkansas, 3202 Bell Engineering Center, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
N Scott
NS
Bobbitt
Jerry W
JW
King
D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D000465:Algorithms; D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods*; D016014:Linear Models; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013816:Thermodynamics
D000438:Alcohols; D056804:Biofuels