| A new process for the production of ethyl ester from sunflower oil for use as a diesel fuel substitute has been developed. Three parts of the process were studied in experimental work. They were: (1) transesterification, (2) phase separation and (3) removal of monoglyceride.; Experiments have been performed to determine the optimum conditions for the one-phase transesterification of sunflower oil using THF as cosolvent. The variables studied were: temperature, ethanol/oil molar ratio and concentration of catalyst. The optimum conditions found for the reaction were: (1) room temperature (∼23°C), (2) 25:1 ethanol/oil molar ratio, and (3) 1.4 wt% potassium hydroxide catalyst (based on the weight of sunflower oil).; A new process was developed to address the well-known problems in the biodiesel industry, such as inefficient phase separation, emulsion problems and waste disposal. In this approach, sodium hydrogensulfate was used to remove catalyst from the reaction mixture. After the removal of ethanol and THF from the reaction mixture, ester and glycerol can be separated completely and quickly. Adsorption of monoglyceride proved to be an efficient and feasible method for removing monoglyceride from the ester. This method can be used in versatile and ingenious processes, making the production of biodiesel more efficient. |
