July 7, 2010DS Sustainable Fuels1 Insight into Commercial Biodiesel Production CONASTA 59 2010 - David Schaller

July 7, 2010DS Sustainable Fuels 1

Insight into CommercialInsight into CommercialBiodiesel ProductionBiodiesel Production

CONASTA 59 2010- David Schaller






Property ASTM Method Limits Units

Flash Point 93 100 min. °CWater&Sediment 2709 0.05 max vol. %Carbon Residue 4530 0.050 max wt. %Sulfated Ash 874 0.020 max wt. %Kin. Viscosity 40°C 445 1.9-6.0 mm²/sec.Sulfur 5453 0.05 max wt. %Cetane 613 40 minCloud Point 2500 by customer °CCopper Corrosion 130 No 3 maxAcid Number 664 0.08 max mg KOH/gFree Glycerine 6584 0.02 max wt. %Total Glycerine 6584 0.240 max wt. %

Biodiesel quality standards

Test results of Tallow biodiesel after water wash

Palm oilRape seed oil,Soyabean oil,Sunflower oil,Canola oil,Coconut oil, Jatropha nut oil,Used Cooking Oil,Animal fats

Conversion

• High viscosity• Poor combustion properties

• Low viscosity• Excellent combustion properties

Raw oil sources of biodiesel

Bio-Diesel


Triglycerides

Fatty-Acids:

Micelles, phospholipids, proteins, mineral salts

Others:

> 95%

0.1- 5%

Raw oils chemical composition

O

O

O

O O

O

OH

O

< 1%


Triglyceride transesterification

Purified Triglycerides

> 95%

O

O

O

O O

O

OCH3

O

OHHO OH

Biodiesel

Glycerine

NaOCH3 CH3OH


Soap formation

Free fatty acid (FFA)

< 5%

OH

O

Methanol

NaOCH3

CH3OH

The FFA content of the triglycerides should be maintainedbelow 0.5% to minimize soap formation and maximize BD selectivity

ONa

O

Soap

+

+


Biodiesel production with LewatitBiodiesel production with Lewatit® ® K2567K2567

Bio-Diesel


Conventional Biodiesel Production Process

Glycerine +Salts

Transesterification

Low-acidTriglycerides

MeOH MeONa HCl

Separation

MeOH + Gly. + salts

Water +Glycerine +

Salts

Methyl ester

Glycerine

Water

Water strip

Pureethyl esters(Biodiesel)

Antioxidant

Water wash

Water strip

MeO

H S

trip

Glycerine purification

Raw oils withfree fatty acids

Esterificatio

n


Pureethyl esters(Biodiesel)

Transesterification

Glycerine +Salts

MeOH MeONa

Separation

MeOH + Glycerine

Glyc. A

dso

rptio

n

Deso

rptio

nMethyl ester

Glycerine

Antioxidant

MeO

H S

trip

Lewatit K 2567

Glycerine purification

Esterificatio

n

Raw oils withfree fatty acids

Biodiesel production with Lewatit K2567

Low-acidTriglycerides


Lewatit K2567 has specifically been developed for biodiesel purification and is used to remove

glycerine, monoglycerides, soaps and salts.

Biodiesel purified with K 2567 fulfills the stringent specification requirements of the European

and American fuel industries.

K2567 is a macroporous cation exchange resin with monodisperse bead sizing, to optimize break-through

and pressure drop performance in packed beds.

One liter of K2567 will purify 11-14 tons biodiesel / year

It can be reused many times, thus minimizing resin disposal costs.

Resin lifetimes up to 7 years have been obtained.

Therefore only relatively small beds are necessary for cycle times of 7–10 days

It can be retrofitted into existing plants.

All biodiesel qualities irrespective of the triglyceride source can be treated.

It is currently used in plants ranging widely in size, from 10,000 350,000 to/a.

And it is the most cost-effective ion exchange resin based purification system in the market.

Lewatit K2567 has been used for biodiesel production in Europe since 1997.

Advantages of using Lewatit K2567


K 2567 “sponge-structure“

Resin packing & structure of Lewatit K2567

Monodisperse bead sizing, hexagonal closest packing


Mechanism of glycerine removal

Solvation of glycerine with K 2567

SO3-

OHHO OH

Na+

OHHOOH

OH

HO

OH

K 2567


Application mode of Lewatit K2567

Alternate loading and washing

1. Biodiesel + glycerine 2. Washing with MeOH

1. Purified biodiesel 2. MeOH + glycerine

B. MeOH tank or MeOH strip

A. Transesterification tank

LewatitK 2567


Biodiesel from phase separationglycerine: 600…2000 ppmsoap: 10 – 200 ppm

refined biodieselglycerine: <10 ppmsoap: < 5 ppm

Operating Conditions:Temperature: 30°C – 40°CLHSV: 1.5 – 2 BV*biodiesel/hrBed height: 1 – 2 mOp. Capacity: 250 g glycerine/literRegeneration: MeOH @ 20-35°CReg. volume: 2-4 BV to transesterification

5-10 BV to MeOH storageResin life: 4-5 years (average)

*BV = bed volumes

Removal of glycerine and soap with Lewatit K 2567

• Fresh K2567 is first preconditioned by drying with 3-4 bed volumes MeOH at 2BV/h. The MeOH is then drained and the biodiesel passed into the reactor. Before the MeOH wash, the biodiesel is also drained.

• After preconditioning, K2567 is only subjected to alternate MeOH / biodiesel treatments and never washed with water.

Preconditioning

LewatitK 2567


Reduced investment

Biodiesel production with Lewatit

Lower operating costs

Ease of operation

Advantages of water wash elimination


Basic design and resin cost

Capacity 100,000 to/a

Annual operation 8,000 h

Throughput 12.5 to/h

15,600 l/h

69 gal./min.

LHSV 2 bed vols/h

Bed volume 7,800 liter K2567

Bed height 2 meter

Pressure drop 0.4 bar

Glycerine capacity 250 g/liter resin

Glycerine conc 800 ppm

Cycle time 156 h

Resin lifetime 5 years

Resin cost / l biodiesel 0.000044 € / l

0.000682 $ / gal

This basic design can be scaled linearly for plant sizing ranging from1,000 300,000 to/a. Bed depth should be kept in the range 1.5 m (1,000 to/a) to 3 m (300,000 to/a)


Additional Information

[email protected]

Fox Design: [email protected]

Poppy oil and meal: www.macquarieoils.com

IX resins: www. lewatit.de, www.purolite.com


Documents

July 7, 2010DS Sustainable Fuels1 Insight into Commercial Biodiesel Production CONASTA 59 2010 - David Schaller