Methyl ester

1. PREPARATION OF
METHYL ESTERS
OF FATTY ACIDS
BY
GURUPRASAD VENKATAKRISHNA RAO

2. REVISING THE BASICS
• ESTERS OF SMALL ALCOHOLS & BIG
ACIDS ( FAME ).
•USES OF THESE ESTERS
3.GREEN TAGGED PRODUCTS
4.RAW MATERIALS FOR ALCOHOLS
5.LUBRICANTS
6.USED IN IDENTIFICATION OF
MICROBES (SOUNDS INTERESTING !!)

3. FAME
ACID
OIL
FATTY
ACIDS
TRIGLYCERIDES
SINGLE
CELL
OILS

4. FAME BY TRIGLYCERIDES
•OLDEST & COMMERCIAL METHODS
•REQUIREMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
3.REFINED OIL ( POSSIBLY 100 % TG )
4.CHEAPER ONE $$$
5.NARROWER RANGE OF FA CHAINS.
6.CONTINOUS SUPPLY

5. CHEMISTRY

6. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
TG
Alcohol
Catalyst
Batch Reactor
Ester
Crude
Glycerol
Alcohol
Alcohol
Water
Water
Neutralized
Glycerol
Wash
Water
Dryer
Biodiesel
Water
Acid

7. Methanol
+
KOH
Vegetable Oil
Storage
Tank
1500 Kg
Methanol
+
H2SO4
Motor
Storage
Tank
500 Ltrs.
Motor
Biodiesel
Storage
Tank
1000 Ltrs.
P2
SV2
Reactor 600 Ltrs
.
SV2
Air
SVO
P1
SV3
P3
S
e
t
t
lin
g

T
a
n
k
1
0
0
0

L
t
r
s
.
Vaccum
Drier
Separating Column
500 Ltrs./ Charge
Washing Column
500 Ltrs./ Charge
Vaccum
Drier
Glycerol Storage
Tank 500 Ltrs.
Transesterification
Reactor,
500Lts./Charge
P4
P5

P6P7
P8
Biodiesel Unit
1tpd Capacity
Design by
DCE

8. ABOUT THE PROCESS……
•FEED STOCK IS KEPT FREE FROM
MOISTURE.
•SUFFICIENT ALCOHOL IS ADDED TO
MAKE UP THREE FULL EQUIVALENTS
OF THE TRIGLYCERIDE, AND AN
EXCESS OF USUALLY SIX PARTS
ALCOHOL TO ONE PART
TRIGLYCERIDE IS ADDED TO DRIVE
THE REACTION TO COMPLETION

9. POINTS TO BE
REMEMBERED
•MONITOR THE LEVEL OF FFA &
WATER IN INCOMING OIL.
•CATALYST IS PREMIXED WITH
ALCOHOL.
•REACTION MIX IS KEPT AT ABOVE BP
OF ALCOHOL.
•FLASH EVAPOURATION IS DONE TO
REMOVE ANY ALCOHOL.

10. CHALLENGE AHEAD…….
HIGH FFA FEED STOCK
•PUT EXCESS CATALYST TO FORM SOAP
AND SOAPS ARE STRIPPED USING
CENTRIFUGES (“CAUSTIC STRIPPING”).
•ACID-CATALYSIS FOLLOWED BY BASE-
CATALYSIS PROCESS.
•ACID CATALYZED TRANSESTERIFICATION.
•

11. FAME BY FATTY ACIDS
•INVOLVES ACID CATALYSED
ESTERIFICATION.
•KINETICALLY SLOW .
•ADDITIONAL STAGE IN HIGH FFA
FEEDSTOCK.
•MOC BECOMES EXPENSIVE.
•FAME COST INCREASES BUT WITH
HIGH QUALITY.

12. FAME BY ACID OILS
•ACIDIFIED SOAPSTOCK CAN BE USED
AS FEED STOCK.
•THERE ARE TWO STRATEGIES
INVOLVED HERE.
3.FREE OIL CAN BE CAN BE
SUBJECTED TO COMPLETE
HYDROLYSIS AND THEN ACID
ESTERIFICATION.
4.ACID & THEN BASE CATALYSED RXN
STRATEGY ALSO USED

13. FAME BY SCO
•FUTURE LIES HERE.
•MICROBES ARE ALLOWED TO FEAST
ON ORGANIC MATTER OF NATURE TO
PRODUCE OIL FORCEFULLY BY RDT.
•OIL IS EXTRACTED BY SUITABLE
SOLVENT & THEN BASE CATALYSED
INTERESTERIFICATION IS DONE.

15. MICROWAVE ASSISTED
PROCESS
•Microwave irradiation helps the synthesis of methyl
esters (BioDiesel)and the high conversion of triglycerides
in few minutes.
•The stirring process doesn’t appear to be so notable
under MW irradiation as it is with conventional heating.
•The energy needed for the trans-esterification under
microwave irradiation is very low (ca. 0,0156 kW/kg of
biodiesel)
•A setting up of new catalysts such Ba(OH)2 H2O, which
can prevent soap formation and be easily separated and
recycled at the end of the trans esterification reaction
has been investigated.

16. ENZYMATIC ROUTE
•USE ENZYMES TO PRODUCE ESTERS
FROM TRIGLYCERIDES.
•RELATIVELY LONGER PERIOD OF
REACTION.
•EXPENSIVE TO PRODUCE BECAUSE OF
THE COST OF ENZYMES.
•NO COMMERCIAL PLANT USING
ENZYMES TO PRODUCE BIODIESEL.
•CATALYST SEPARATION ISSUE CAN BE
SOLVED EASILY.

19. ! SUPERCRITICAL !
•INVOLVES USE OF SUPERCRITICAL
METHANOL.
•SUPERCRITICAL METHANOL & OIL
ARE IN SINGLE PHASE.
•NO CATALYST REQUIRED
•HIGH PRESSURE IS THE
DISADVANTAGE.

20. REFERENCES
• FATTY ACIDS & OLEOCHEMICALS BY
FRANK D GUNSTONE.
•OILS & FAT TECHNOLOGY BY BRECK
AND BHATIA
•WWW.BAYERS.COM
•WWW.GOOGLE.COM
•SPECIAL THANKS TO Dr SUDHA
RAMAN