Resumen

ALBIS ARRIETA, Alberto Ricardo; PARRA GARRIDO, Julián Andrés  y  SANCHEZ CASTELLANOS, Francisco J.. Palm oil trans-esterification with methanol via heterogeneous catalysys. Ing. Investig. [online]. 2005, vol.25, n.2, pp.71-77. ISSN 0120-5609.

Four different solid catalysts’ catalytic activity was studied in refined palm oil methanolysis: barium hydroxide, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide and tin oxide (IV). The last two presented low catalytic activity; they were thus discarded. The catalysts were used in powder form suspended in the reaction medium. HPLC was used for testing catalytic activity by measuring the glycerol produced at the end of the reaction. Experiments were conducted at different pressures: 75 kPa (the pressure in Bogotá), 760 kPa, 1, 800 kPa, 5,900 kPa and 11,400 kPa.), 125ºC (760 kPa) and 160ºC (1,800 kPa). Three different percentages of catalyser were assayed at 75 kPa and two experiments were done at very high pressure (10.9 psi) around methanol’s critical point (5,900 and 11,400 kPa). Both barium hydroxide and calcium oxide presented high catalytic activity. 75%-80% conversion was obtained with them in 8-10 hours at 63.3ºC and 1.5 and 3 hours using calcium oxide and barium hydroxide (respectively) at high temperatures and pressures.

Palabras clave : trans-esterification; methanolysis; palm oil; heterogeneous catalysis.

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