Biodiesel purification in one single stage using silica as adsorbent

MANUALE DEBORA; GRECO ELISABET; CLEMENTZ ADRIANA; TORRES GERARDO; VERA CARLOS; YORI JUAN CARLOS

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014 vol. 256 p. 372 - 379

1385-8947

In this paper a simple biodiesel purification method consisting of one single stage treatment with silica asadsorbent is described. The presented method seems a solution for biodiesel refining saving water,money and process time. The treatment is made under conditions of vacuum (0.2 bar) and mild temperature(65-90 C). The method allows for the removal of the excess of methanol and water (present in thecrude biodiesel and adsorbed on the adsorbent material) simultaneously with the adsorption of theimpurities.Silica Trisyl 3000 retains 23% of its weight when the process is conducted at atmospheric pressure andnearly 235% when performed under vacuum conditions. This greatly improves the utilization of theadsorbent and reduces the cost of the process.Under these conditions, the silica behaves as a non-selective adsorbent of high capacity that is able toadsorb different types of impurities, which makes it an excellent adsorbent to purify biodiesel. On theother hand, the adsorption phenomenon is not limited to the formation of a theoretical ??monolayer??of adsorbed impurities; it is more complex and includes the formation of multiple layers.