EXPERIMENTALLY DETERMINED FLUID PHASE EQUILIBRIA FOR SUPERCRITICAL HYDROGENATION PROCESSES

L.J. ROVETTO; S.B. BOTTINI; C.J. PETERS

Salvador

Encuentro; IV Encontro Brasileiro de Fluidos Supercríticos; 2001

Propane has been suggested as an adequate solvent to carry out the hydrogenation of low volatile compounds under a single supercritical phase. Typical examples are the hydrogenation of oils to produce margarine and shortening and that of fatty alkyl esters to obtain fatty alcohols. Experimental phase equilibrium data on mixtures of these high molecular weight substrates with hydrogen and propane are needed in order to search for adequate process conditions. In this work phase equilibrium data on mixtures of tripalmitin + hydrogen + propane and methyl palmitate + hydrogen + propane have been measured. The experimental work was carried out in the so-called Cailletet apparatus. The synthetic method was applied. Mixtures of known compositions were taken to single-phase (liquid or vapor) conditions and the corresponding values of temperature and pressure were determined. A region of temperatures between 313K and 450K and pressures up to 16 MPa was covered. At high propane concentrations, the system hydrogen + propane + tripalmitin showed partial liquid miscibility