The Effect of Operating Parameters of Alkali Catalyzed Transesterification of Sunflower Oil With Methanol in the Presence of the Cosolvent Assisted by Hydrodynamic Cavitation on the Degree of Triglyceride Conversion

Method of independent variation of the value of one operating parameter has been used to investigate the effect of operating parameters on alkali-catalyzed transesterification of sunflower oil with methanol in presence of tetrahydrofuran (THF) as cosolvent, assisted by hydrodynamic cavitation (ACTC) on the value of the degree of triglyceride conversion (DTC). ACTC was performed by a venturi-type hydrodynamic cavitation reactor (VCR) of our construction. To determine the effect of ACTC on DTC following operating parameters were varied: reaction mixture inlet pressure (p1) from 202.3 kPa to 1013.2 kPa; methanol to oil molar ratio (M1) from M1=3 to M1=12; concentration of catalyst (Cc) from 0.3wt% to 1.5wt%; methanol to THF molar ratio (M2) from M2=1.25 to M2=2.0; temperature (T) from 20°C to 55°C, number of passes through the VCR (n) from n=1 to n=10. It was found, based on the obtained results, that: a) the values of DTC increase with the increase in p1, M1, Cc, and n, b) the values of the DTC decrease with the increase in T and c) maximum values of the DTC are obtained at Cc=1.0~1.1wt% and M2=1.5.