Process for producing mixed esters of fatty acids as biofuels
AssigneeBoard of Trustees of Michigan State University
InventorsNavinchandra S. Asthana, Dennis J. Miller, Carl T. Lira, Evan Bittner
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Abstract
A process for producing mixed esters of fatty acids as biofuel or additive to a petroleum fuel for use in a compression ignition (CI) engine. The process preferably provides a partial transesterification of a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters with at least one alkyl alcohol containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms in the presence of a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst to produce a mixture of the fatty acid methyl esters and alkyl alcohol esters of the fatty acids.
Claims26
A process for producing mixed esters of fatty acids, the method comprising:
- (a) partially transesterifying at a temperature between about 50° C. and 200° C. and a pressure between about 0.5 atm and 20 atm (i) a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters, the mixture being free from fatty acid alkyl esters with alkyl ester groups containing 2 or more carbon atoms, with (ii) at least one alkyl alcohol containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms in the presence of a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst to produce a mixture of fatty acid alkyl esters comprising at least some fatty acid methyl esters and at least some fatty acid alkyl esters with alkyl groups containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
- and
- (b) separating the produced mixture of fatty acid alkyl esters from the heterogeneous solid acid catalyst.
A process for producing mixed esters of fatty acids, the method comprising:
- (a) partially transesterifying at a temperature between about 50° C. and 200° C. and a pressure between about 0.5 atm and 20 atm (i) a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters with (ii) at least one alkyl alcohol containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms, the at least one alkyl alcohol being free from methanol, in the presence of a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst to produce a mixture of fatty acid alkyl esters comprising at least some fatty acid methyl esters and at least some fatty acid alkyl esters with alkyl groups containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
- and
- (b) separating the produced mixture of fatty acid alkyl esters from the heterogeneous solid acid catalyst.
A process for producing mixed esters of fatty acids, the method comprising:
- (a) partially transesterifying (i) a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters, the mixture being free from fatty acid alkyl esters with alkyl ester groups containing 2 or more carbon atoms, with (ii) at least one alkyl alcohol containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms, the at least one alkyl alcohol being free from methanol, in the presence of a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst to produce a mixture of fatty acid alkyl esters comprising at least some fatty acid methyl esters and at least some fatty acid alkyl esters with alkyl groups containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
- and
- (b) separating the produced mixture of fatty acid alkyl esters from the heterogeneous solid acid catalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.