Phase Equilibrium Engineering of Transesterification of Vegetable Oils under Supercritical Conditions

P. HEGEL; E.A. BRIGNOLE; M. ZABALOY; S. ESPINOSA; S. PEREDA; S.B. BOTTINI

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Conferencia; XXII Conferencia Interamericana de Ingeniería Química y V Conferencia Argentina de Ingeniería Química; 2006

Recent experimental studies on non-catalytic transesterification, have shown that high reaction rate can be obtained if the operating conditions are close to the critical properties of methanol, fact that justifies this process commercial application. A preliminary phase equilibrium engineering study of the binary mixtures involve in this process and with the use of cosolvents like propane is presented in this work. Many of these binaries have self-association or cross-association and its effect on the reaction rate is analyzed as well. A phase equilibrium engineering design problem is the systematic study and application of phase equilibrium knowledge to the development of chemical processes.