Rapeseed oil methyl esters preparation using heterogeneous catalysts

The classical method of fatty acids methyl esters (FAME) production is based on triglyceride transesterification to methyl esters. Sodium hydroxide dissolved in methanol is used as a catalyst. The purpose of this work was to examine a heterogeneous catalyst, in particular calcium compounds, to produce methyl esters of rapeseed oil. This research showed that the transesterification of rapeseed oil by methyl alcohol can be catalysed effectively by basic alkaline-earth metal compounds: calcium oxide, calcium methoxide and barium hydroxide. Calcium catalysts, due to their weak solubility in the reaction medium, are less active than sodium hydroxide. However, calcium catalysts are cheaper and lead to decreases in the number of technological stages and the amount of unwanted waste products. It was found that the transesterification reaction rate can be enhanced by ultrasound as well as by introducing an appropriate reagent into a reactor to promote methanol solubility in the rapeseed oil. Tetrahydrofuran was used as additive to accelerate the transesterification process.