Biodiesel Production Via Interesterification of Palm Oil and Ethyl Acetate Using Ion-Exchange Resin in a Packed-Bed Reactor

Interesterification reaction of palm oil and ethyl acetate for the synthesis of biodiesel was performed in a small-scale fixed-bed reactor. The reactor was packed with ion-exchange resin (RCP160M), which was used as catalyst for this work. The important factors affecting biodiesel content including reaction temperature, mass flow rate of reactants, and ethyl acetate-to-oil molar ratio were examined and optimized via the Box-Behnken design. Main effects and interactions of the variables on biodiesel content were addressed. The remarkable long-term stability of catalyst was also demonstrated for at least 72 h of continuous operation with relatively constant %FAEE. The optimal conditions yielding 99% of ester content were found as follows: reaction temperature of 113 °C, total mass flow rate of 5.4 × 10−4 kg/h, and ethyl acetate-to-oil molar ratio of 16.7:1. Considering the operating conditions and productivity parameter, this method could be further developed for efficient biodiesel production.