Kristaps Māliņš

Production of Biodiesel and Triacetin by Interesterification of Rapeseed Oil

Interesterification of vegetable oils is one of the methods which have been considered for biodiesel production. Average yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)/triacetin (TA) containing product mixture obtained under developed optimal rapeseed oil (RO) interesterification reaction conditions reached 117.2%. Treatment of FAME/TA mixture with three different commercial ion exchange resins (Amberlyst-A26 (OH-), Amberlyst-15 (H+), Lewatit GF 202 (Na+)) and water was investigated to improve fuel properties or extract FAME and TA as two separate marketable products. Fuel properties of obtained product mixtures were relatively close to biodiesel obtained from RO by transesterification reaction with methanol. The highest influence on chemical composition of product mixture showed water as treatment agent. Water can be successfully used as extraction agent for separation of TA and other glycerol (G) acetates from fatty acid moiety containing compounds. Two separate product mixtures were obtained after treatment of FAME/TA containing mixture with water. G (~5 wt.%), DAG (~33 wt%) and TA (~61 wt.%) mixture extracted with water using developed method has high potential for application in different industrial areas. Rest of product mixture with high content of FAME (~77 wt.%) could be used as renewable fuel for diesel engine exploitation.