Continuous production process for ethyl esters (biodiesel)

Abstract

This application refers to an industrial production process for ethyl esters (biodiesel) through two separate reactions, in two steps: 1) through hydrolysis of glyceryl esters from vegetable oils at an approximate temperature of 60° C., at atmospheric pressure, splitting the glyceryl esters in free fatty acids and glycerol, and 2) esterification of the free fatty acids with hydrated ethyl alcohol. The reactions occur in two separate columns each 1.0 meter high and packed with the heterogeneous catalyst calcium and magnesium oxide (CaO.MgO) stones, each 1/15 the size of the column diameter. This process is named DUOBIO. Any vegetable oil is emulsified very finely with water at 60° C. and poured in the top of the first cylinder, which is packed with the stones as the heterogeneous catalyst. The mixture flows through the stones in the column splitting by hydrolysis the molecules of glyceryl esters and separating the fatty acids from the trialcohol (glycerol—C3H5(OH)3). Both products are collected at the column base and separated by density difference. The fatty acids separated from the glycerol are mixed with hydrated ethyl alcohol at a 1:2 ratio and poured in the second column, which is packed with calcium and magnesium oxide stones (up to 10 mm in size). The dimension of the stones is at most 1/15 the column diameter. The mixture flows through the packed stones through the bottom of the second column where the ethyl esters, product of the esterification reaction, are separated by density from the water resulting in the dehydration reaction; the ethyl monoester (biodiesel) is dissolved in excess alcohol. The solution of ethyl ester in the excess alcohol is separated by fractionated distillation recovering the hydrated ethyl alcohol and the ethyl ester free from the ethyl alcohol.

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