| 摘要 |
The present invention discloses a reaction system for producing fatty-acid alkyl esters using packed reactors, particularly liquid-film reactors, with a countercurrent feed current flow scheme based on the alcoholysis of oils and fats, specifically the methanolysis of palm oil and soya oil. The reaction system comprises a descending liquid-film reactor that uses as semi-structured packing for generating an interface area. The reactor is fed, separately, with the oil or fat, through the bottom of the reactor, and a mixture containing alcohol, glycerol and catalyst, which may be fed in in an intermediate stage. It is also possible, optionally, to feed in a second stream of the mixture of alcohol, glycerol and catalyst in proportions different from those of the first stream, either in an intermediate stage of the reactor or through the top thereof. The products, a mixture of fatty-acid alkyl esters, alcohol and catalyst, and another of glycerol, alcohol and catalyst, exit via the top and the bottom of the reactor, respectively. The volumetric fraction of packing in the reactor is between 2 and 50%, the operating temperature between 25° C. and 180° C., depending on the alcohol used, the molar ratio of alcohol to oil or fat between 3:1 and 10:1, and it is possible for the catalyst to be any homogeneous basic catalyst used in alcoholysis, such as CH3OK, NaOH, KOH, or mixtures thereof, in a proportion of between 0.5% and 3% by weight with respect to the oil flow. The conversion and the yield of the liquid-film reactor operated countercurrentwise, in a single reaction step, are greater than 99.7% and 99.9%, respectively. |
| 主权项 |
1. The reactor system for the production of fatty add alkyl esters by the alcoholysis of oils and fats, operated counter-current, CHARACTERIZED BY
a. A falling liquid film reactor (1) that is packed with metallic fibers with diameters between 0.05 mm and 3.00 mm or another type of packing that allows for the previously described flow pattern. b. An oil supply current (10) that feeds the bottom of the reactor (11). c. A first supply current of a mixture that contains alcohol, glycerol and a catalyst (20) that can feed any intermediate stage of the reactor (21, 22, 23). d. An optional second supply current of a mixture that contains alcohol, glycerol and a catalyst (30) in different proportions than those in the first current (20) that can feed any intermediate stage of the reactor (31) or the top of the reactor (32). The second current is always fed into the reactor above the feed(s) of the first current. e. An outlet at the top of the reactor through which flows a mixture of fatty acid alkyl esters, alcohol and catalyst (40). f. An outlet at the bottom of the reactor through which flows a mixture of glycerol, alcohol and catalyst (50). g. An optional continuous centrifuge (2) for the separation of the remaining glycerol in the reactor's output current, which is rich in fatty acid alkyl esters (40). h. An optional continuous centrifuge (3) for the separation of the fatty acid alkyl esters that may have been dragged by the output current that is rich in glycerol (50). i. A packed volume fraction in the reactor between 2% and 75%. j. A reactor temperature that is held constant between 25 ° C. and 180 ° C. depending on the alcohol that is employed. k. An alcohol to oil molar ratio between 3:1 and 10:1 including the alcohol in any of the supply currents that contain mixtures of alcohol, glycerin and catalyst. l. A catalyst that is chosen from all homogeneous basic catalysts, such as CH3ONa, CH3OK NaOH, KOH, or their mixtures at a weight concentration between 0.5% and 3% with respect to the oil flow. m. Operates counter-current with a feed of alcohol, glycerol and a catalyst (21, 22, 23) located at a height h between 0% and 80% as measured from the top of the reactor such that h=0% is the top and h=100% is the bottom. |
