A Kinetics Study of the Non-catalytic Supercritical Transesterification Reaction for Biodiesel Production

Abstract

In the present study, a kinetics study of non-catalytic supercritical transesterification reaction for biodiesel production was conducted. The kinetics model was developed by employing a three-step reversible reaction in supercritical transesterification reaction. Important kinetics parameters, such as pre-exponential factors and activation energy, were obtained and compared with other reported studies. In the results, the developed model was found to be adequate and significant. Furthermore, it could predict the yield of FAME and other intermediate compounds with marginal error.

Keywords:

• activation energy
• Arrhenius equation
• biodiesel
• kinetics
• supercritical methanol

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge Universiti Sains Malaysia (Research University Grant No. 1001/PJKIMIA/814047and USM Fellowship) for the financial support given.