Qualitative analysis of transesterification of waste pig fat in supercritical alcohols

Abstract

In this work, the characteristics of waste pig fat degradation using supercritical alcohols have been studied. Comparative analysis of the influence of supercritical methanol and supercritical ethanol as solvents on the transesterification was the primary focus of this research. The experiments were carried out with waste pig fat to alcohol weight ratios of 1:1.5 (molar ratio: 1:40.5 for methanol and 1:28 for ethanol), 1:2.0 (molar ratio: 1:54 for methanol and 1:37.5 for ethanol) and 1:2.5 (molar ratio: 1:67.5 for methanol and 1:47 for ethanol) at transesterification temperatures 250, 270 and 290 °C for holding time 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min. Increase in the transesterification and holding time increased the conversion while increase in alcohol amount from 1:1.5 to 1:2.0 and 1:2.5 had minimal effect on the conversion. Further, majority of the ester composition in using SCM as solvent falls in the carbon range of C17:0, C19:1 and C19:2 while that for SCE falls in the carbon range of C18:0, C20:1 and C20:2. Glycerol was only present while using SCM as solvent.