(679i) Transesterification of Bio-Renewable Oils with Supercritical Alcohols

Catalyst-free transesterification reaction in the supercritical alcohol is investigated for the production of biodiesel fuel and epoxy resin. Alcohols evaluated for the supercritical transesterification of oils from soybean and microalgae are methanol, ethanol, propanol, and ally alcohol. The reaction parameters studied were the reaction time, temperature, molar ratio of alcohol to triglycerides, and addition of third component, while the critical pressure is maintained constant. High temperature and pressure conditions help to accelerate the transesterification reaction since the supercritical alcohol has an enhanced contact with the oil. The supercritical transesterification reaction is conducted without the traditional acid/base catalyst and allows easier recovery of pure biodiesel product. The supercritical alcohol method is also employed with small-volume reactors that are designed for the fast analysis of oleaginous biomass samples.