Transesterification Process Flowsheets & Simulations
Explore 2 validated, solved Transesterification simulation flowsheets in MaximaLabs — real components: triolein_ooo, tripalmitin_ppp, methanol, methyl_oleate, methyl_palmitate, glycerol. Open any one directly in your browser.
Solved via: PENG-ROBINSON.
Biodiesel: alkali-catalysed transesterification with methanol recovery
Continuous base-catalysed (NaOH/methoxide) transesterification of a refined vegetable oil to fatty acid methyl esters — the classic FAME biodiesel process. The oil is modeled as a 70/30 triolein/tripalmitin blend (the C₁₈:1 and C₁₆:0 triglycerides that dominate soy, canola and rendered-fat feedstocks); each is transesterified with methanol at a 6:1 molar ratio and 60 C in a two-reactor cascade at 97% conversion per stage, the standard industrial staging that drives the equilibrium toward the esters. Excess methanol is then vacuum-flashed overhead for recycle, and the wash/settling step splits the heavy glycerol phase from the ester product. The FAME product comes out at 96.9 wt% ester content — just over the EN 14214 minimum of 96.5 wt% — and the crude glycerin at ~85 wt% glycerol, typical of the crude co-product that goes on to a glycerin refining column.
8 unit ops • PENG-ROBINSON
117 0
View & openButyl acetate synthesis via reactive distillation
Methyl acetate transesterifies with n-butanol over the reactive stages of a column into butyl acetate (a common paint/coatings solvent) and methanol, which is pulled overhead as it forms while high-boiling butyl acetate collects in the bottoms. Luyben et al., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2011, 50, 1247.
5 unit ops • PENG-ROBINSON
224 0
View & open