Modeling of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Oxyethylation in a Semi-Batch Reactor with Successive Dosing of Ethylene Oxide

Abstract

Abstract The profile of pressure change and the product composition were used to model oxyethylation of fatty acid methyl esters, carried out in a semi-batch reactor with successive dosing of ethylene oxide. It was found that the model fitted well with the experimental data obtained in the presence of a calcium-based catalyst. The introduction of the first and second oxyethylene groups are the slowest and the quickest step, respectively. The pseudo-rate constants of the successive steps are lower than the constant of the second step but approximately twice as high as the first rate constant. The modeling also demonstrates that the oxyethylation cannot proceed via oxyethylation of calcium alkoxylate and transesterification with fatty acid methyl esters.