title: Transesterification of rapeseed oil for biodiesel production in trickle-bed reactors packed with heterogeneous Ca/Al composite oxide-based alkaline catalyst.
abstract: A conventional trickle bed reactor and its modified type both packed with Ca/Al composite oxide-based alkaline catalysts were studied for biodiesel production by transesterification of rapeseed oil and methanol. The effects of the methanol usage and oil flow rate on the FAME yield were investigated under the normal pressure and methanol boiling state. The oil flow rate had a significant effect on the FAME yield for the both reactors. The modified trickle bed reactor kept over 94.5% FAME yield under 0.6 mL/min oil flow rate and 91 mL catalyst bed volume, showing a much higher conversion and operational stability than the conventional type. With the modified trickle bed reactor, both transesterification and methanol separation could be performed simultaneously, and glycerin and methyl esters were separated additionally by gravity separation.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of State Education Ministry, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Lu
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Song-Jiang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Shu-Fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo-Yang
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Min-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000468:Alkalies / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000535:Aluminum / Q000494:pharmacology*; D056804:Biofuels; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002384:Catalysis / Q000187:drug effects; D004951:Esterification / Q000187:drug effects; D004952:Esters / Q000032:analysis; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism*; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil
chemical_list: D000468:Alkalies; D056804:Biofuels; D004952:Esters; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D010087:Oxides; D010938:Plant Oils; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil; D000535:Aluminum; D002118:Calcium