Carbonate catalyzed alcoholysis of triglycerides
First Claim
1. In a process for the alcoholysis of fatty acid glycerides wherein an alcohol is reacted with a fatty acid glyceride in a reaction mixture to yield the corresponding ester, the improvement which comprises carrying out said reaction in the presence of a catalyst containing an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or zinc carbonate and at a temperature of from about 160-300°
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Abstract
A process for the carbonate-catalyzed alcoholysis of fatty acid glycerides is disclosed, wherein an alcohol (e.g., a C1-C6 mono-, di- or trialcohol) is reacted with a fatty acid glyceride (e.g., a plant or animal derived triglyceride) at elevated temperatures and superatmospheric pressures to give high yields of the corresponding ester. The preferred catalysts are the alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or zinc carbonates, with calcium carbonate being especially preferred because of its ready availability and physical integrity under reaction conditions. The alcoholysis reaction may be carried out in a single reactor, or on a continuous basis using a plug flow reactor.
19 Citations
34 Claims
- 1. In a process for the alcoholysis of fatty acid glycerides wherein an alcohol is reacted with a fatty acid glyceride in a reaction mixture to yield the corresponding ester, the improvement which comprises carrying out said reaction in the presence of a catalyst containing an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or zinc carbonate and at a temperature of from about 160-300°
- 21. In a process for the alcoholysis of fatty acid glycerides wherein an alcohol is reacted with a glyceride to yield the corresponding ester and glycerin byproduct, the improvement which comprises the steps of carrying out said reaction in a first and second serially connected flow reactors generating respective first and second reactor output streams and wherein, during steady state operations, fresh glycerides are added to said first reactor, fresh alcohol is added to the process, at least a portion of said glycerin byproduct is removed upstream of said second reactor, and at least some of the unreacted alcohol from said second reactor is recirculated to said first reactor.
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30. In a process for the alcoholysis of fatty acid glycerides wherein an alcohol is reacted with a glyceride to yield the corresponding ester and glycerin byproduct, the improvement which comprises the steps of carrying out said reaction in a first and second serially connected flow reactors generating respective first and second reactor output streams and wherein, during steady state operations, fresh glycerides are added to said first reactor, fresh alcohol is added downstream of said first reactor, at least a portion of said glycerin byproduct is removed upstream of said second reactor, and unreacted alcohol from said second reactor is recirculated to said first reactor, said fresh alcohol comprising methanol, and further including the steps of adding diesel to said second reactor output stream and adjsuting the temperature of the second reactor ouput stream to a level of up to about 75°
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31. An alcoholysis reactor for reacting fatty acid glycerides and aclohol starting ingredients to yield the corresponding esters, and glycerin byproduct, said reactor comprising:
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a reactor body having at least one starting ingredient input, an ester product output and a glycerin byproduct output;
a packed bed of alcholysis reaction catalyst between said input and said outputs and presenting an inlet face and an outlet face;
a liquid-liquid separation baffle proximal to the outlet face of said bed and said ester product output, said baffle operable to direct an ester product-containing phase from said bed to said ester product output. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. In a process for the alcoholysis of fatty acid glycerides wherein an alcohol is reacted with a fatty acid glyceride in a reaction mixture to yield the corresponding esters the improvement which comprises carrying out said reaction at a temperature of from about 0-300°
- C. where a petroleum fraction having a 95% boiling point of less than about 670°
F. is added to the reaction mixture. - View Dependent Claims (34)
- C. where a petroleum fraction having a 95% boiling point of less than about 670°
Specification