Esterizer Biodiesel Process
We offer you the entire palette of components that are needed to create a state-of-the-art biodiesel plant. Our installation components produce top results that are still second to none. The performance of the plant as a whole depends on the relevant level of configuration chosen in each particular case. Instead of supplying a piece of apparatus straight from the catalogue, we build you a made-to-measure installation aligned to your particular needs and requests.
1.
Yield:
We
anticipate a yield of 100%, even if there is theoretically a slight
bias in favour of the methyl ester in the first decimal place.
This
yield is based on the following mass balance:
1000
kg vegetable oil + 103 kg methanol = 1000 kg biodiesel + 103 kg
glycerine
A surplus of methanol is added
and then gradually
flashed off again during the course of the procedure.
The simple
transesterification process produces yields between 97% and 98%.
Increased free fatty acid values lower these values. This means that
figures of this kind are always based on speculation, and the case in
question has to be discussed with the customer.
2.
Catalyst consumption:
We
only use homogenous catalysts for transesterification. These might be
potassium or sodium hydroxide or their methylates. In practice, this
is usually confined to potassium hydroxide or sodium methylate.
Consumption generally depends on the amount of free fatty acids.
Calculations based on a fully refined oil produce the
following results:
1000
kg vegetable oil + 12 kg KOH
or:
1000
kg vegetable oil + 8 kg CH3ONa
Whether
you opt for one catalyst or another is influenced by many different
factors and the decision can only be reached by consultation. In view
of its greater level of processing safety, we generally recommend
potassium hydroxide.
3.
Auxiliary power
Electricity
and heating oil are the most common forms of energy employed. Based
on a production of 1000 kg biodiesel, this consumption is distributed
as follows:
Electric
power: 50 kWh
Heating
oil: 2.5 l ~ 106
MJ
4.
Auxiliary materials
Our
process is known for being free of water. We achieve this by adding
Amberlite BD10 dry resin made by Rohm & Haas, in the development
and introduction of which we played a significant role. Should the
customer prefer to reduce the amount of resin used by washing, we can
also offer a combined wet/dry procedure. We do not offer any cleaning
procedure based solely on washing with water or bonding agents since
we are well acquainted with the drawbacks. The consumption of resin
when employed for a resin-only purification purposes is as
follows:
1000
kg biodiesel: 1 kg Amberlite BD 10 dry
5.
Glycerine composition
Subject
to a high-quality educt, the subphase is composed as follows as a
percentage based on 1000 kg oil:
Glycerine:
61,3 % ~ 103.0 kg
Methanol: 14,8
% ~ 24.9 kg
Soap:
21,9 % ~ 36.8 kg [Soap = Salt of the fatty acids with
the catalyst
Water:
2,0 % ~ 3.3
kg these are about:
__________________ fatty
acids: 14.8 % ~ 24.8 kg
total: 100,0 % ~ 168.0
kg
Catalyst: 7.1% ~ 12.0 kg
Depending
on the configuration of the installation, the fatty acids are
esterized to biodiesel in a single step and the methanol
recirculated.