(570t) Synthesis of BDF From Sunflower Oil in a Countercurrent Trickle-Bed Reactor Packed with a CaO Catalyst

Transesterification of sunflower oil to biodiesel was performed in a countercurrent trickle-bed reactor, in which calcium oxide particle were packed as a solid base catalyst. The flow of oil was downward through a nozzle while the flow of vaporized methanol was upward in the bed. The reaction temperature was varied from 353 to 413K to confirm the progress of the transesterification in gas-liquid phase. Effects of reaction temperature, flow rates of methanol and the oil and bed height on the yield of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) were investigated. The FAME yield was not significantly affected by the flow rate of methanol. The FAME yield was affected by the residence time of the oil which was controlled by changing flow rate of the oil and bed height. The experimental results showed that the FAME yield increased with reaction temperature and indicated as maximum valve at 373K. The presence of the maximum was also caused by the change in the residence time due to the reduction of oil viscosity by temperature increase. The FAME yield reached 98% at the reaction temperature of 373K when the flow rate of methanol and the oil was 3.8 and 4.1 mL/h, respectively.