Technical Session - 1

Title:            Process Intensification for Biodiesel Production via Transesterification Reaction, using a Hydrodynamic Cavitational Reactor System
Authors:       Tran Hai Ung, Vo Van Tuyen, Nguyen Vinh Khanh
Abstract:     Productions of biodiesel from fish oil and methanol via transeterification were carried out in a reactor system consisting of a hand-made hydrodynamic cavitational mixer, as well as in a conventional stirred reactor system, for comparison purpose. With a starting mixture of methanol/fish oil (molar ratio = 6/1), reaction temperature of 60oC, and homogeneous catalyst (NaOH in methanol, 1wt% of fish oil), 92% conversion of fish oil was obtained in the cavitational mixer connected reactor system after only 1 minute of reaction, while the reaction time needed to reach the same conversion in conventional reactor is 90 minutes. It is postulated that this is caused by the improved mass transfer, induced by an increase in interfacial area of the mixture after being subjected to the hydrodynamic cavitational mixer. Therefore, the hydrodynamic cavitational mixer is believed to intensify the transesterification process, and allows (i) the use of a smaller amount of NaOH catalyst; (ii) the use of heterogeneous solid metal oxide catalysts for the reaction; and (iii) continuous biodiesel production to become achievable.

Keywords:  Biodiesel, Alternative Green Fuels, Process Intensification, Transesterification, Hydrodynamic Cavitation
Pages:        057-063

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