(1) Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Abstract:
The feasibility of using ultrasonic mixing to obtain biodiesel from soybean oil was established. The alkaline transesterification
reaction was studied at three levels of temperature and four alcohol-to-oil ratios. Excellent yields were obtained for all
conditions. For example, at 40°C with ultrasonic agitation and a molar ratio of 6∶1 methanol/oil, the conversion to FAME was
greater than 99.4% after about 15 min. For a 6∶1 methanol/oil ratio and a 25 to 60°C temperature range, a pseudo second-order
kinetic model was confirmed for the hydrolysis of DG and TG. Reaction rate constants were three to five times higher than
those reported in the literature for, mechanical agitation. We suspect that the observed mass transfer and kinetic rate enhancements
were due to the increase in interfacial area and activity of the microscopic and macroscopic bubbles formed when ultrasonic
waves of 20 kHz were applied to a two-phase reaction system.