Performance evaluation of a batch reactor for the acid esterification of Jatropha curcas L. oil

Date

3-2009

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Butch G. Bataller

Committee Member

Rex B. Demafelis, John Metnard Tengco, Myra G. Borines

Abstract

The acid esterification of mechanically extracted Jatropha curcus L. Oil in a constant stirred batch reactor was studied. The oil was reacted methanol and catalyzed by sulfuric acid in the batch reactor designed by Tapay (2008) using the mass ratio 1:2.25: 0.05 FFA: methanol sulfuric acid. Reaction time, reaction temperature and impeller speed were varied in order to determine their effects on the percent reduction on FFA. The percent composition of the acid esterified oil was determined using thin layer chromatography and QuantiScanᵀᴹ. In observing the effect of varying reaction time. The reaction was allowed to proceed until there are no further changes on the %FFA of the oil. The reaction conditions were set at 60°C reaction temperature, 197 rpm of impeller speed and 4 hrs of reaction. The plot of the %FFA with respect to time was exponential. In a span of 60min, the percent reduction on FFA was increasing linearly and increasing slightly thereafter. Thus 60min was chosen to be the reaction time for the succeeding runs. The %FFA was reduced to 1.14% after 4 hrs of reaction. Then the effect of varying temperature was studied at 29°C and 60°C with impeller speed set at 197rpm and reaction time of 1 hour. This run showed that increasing the reaction temperature increases the percent reduction on FFA. Reaction at 60°C gave the higher percent reduction on FFA at 61.8%. Generally, the higher the impeller speed, the higher the surface contact of the reactants. Thus, increasing the percent reduction on FFA.

Language

English

Location

UPLB College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology

Call Number

LG 993.5 2009 E62 V35

Document Type

Thesis

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