Kinetics of Transesterification Processes for Biodiesel Production

Abstract

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel mainly produced by transesteriication of oils and fats that can be used as a transportation fuel, solvent and for energy generation with the potential to reduce the emissions of CO2 , SO2 , CO and HC, compared to fossil fuels. In this work, the kinetic behavior of triglycerides by diferent transesteriication technologies is investi- gated through a critical review of the kinetic models reported in the study with the aim to establish a trend of the reaction mechanisms and the main variable efects and to further optimize the chemical process. The study of the transesteriication reaction kinetics is per- formed for every type of transesteriication, that is, homogeneous, heterogeneous, enzy- matic and supercritical. The kinetic models are thus reviewed by describing the way they have evolved and how they can be used for process simulation and optimization. This chapter is divided in a study of the state of the art, an analysis and synthesis of research results, and an application for further optimization of the biodiesel production process.