Ultrasonic Transesterification of Oil to Biodiesel

Ultrasonication can improve the conversion processing of vegetable oils or animal fats to biodiesel by improved mixing and enhanced chemical activity.

The manufacturing of biodiesel from oils (e.g. soy, canola, sunflower seed) or animal fats, involves the base-catalyzed transesterification of fatty acids with methanol to give the corresponding methyl esters. The conventional esterification reaction in batch processing tends to be slow, and phase separation of the glycerol is time-consuming. Ultrasound allows for the inline processing. Ultrasonication can achieve a biodiesel yield in excess of 99%. Ultrasound reduces the processing time from the conventional 1 to 5 hour batch processing to less than 5 minutes. Ultrasonication can also help to reduce the separation time from 5 to 10 hours (using conventional agitation) to less than 15min using ultrasound. The biodiesel processing does not need much ultrasonic energy. Hielscher is supplies industrial ultrasonic processing systems, worldwide. With ultrasonic processors of up to 16kW power per single device, there is no limit in plant size or processing capacity.

Costs of Ultrasonication
The resulting costs for the ultrasonication vary between 0.2ct and 1.5ct per liter (0.8ct to 6.0ct/gallon) when used in commercial scale.

Direct Link:
http://www.hielscher.com/ultrasonics/biodiesel_transesterification_01.htm

Hielscher USA, Inc.
19, Forest Road
NJ 07456 Ringwood, USA
Tel.: +1 973 616 9136
Mobile: +1 973 800 9537
Fax: +1 973 616 9131
email: usa@hielscher.com
web: www.hielscher.com

The Hielscher Ultrasonics GmbH is a family run business, located in Teltow near Berlin (Germany). The main emphasis of its activities is the conception, development and production of ultrasonic devices for the use in laboratory and industrial applications. Technological innovations together with the realization of new ultrasound based processes substantiated the company's growth and its market acceptance. Today, ultrasonic devices made by Hielscher Ultrasonics belong to laboratories and production plants on all continents across the world. more than half turnoveris based on exports. Almost every third device is supplied to customers outside Europe.
The Hielscher Ultrasonics GmbH integrates the ultrasonic devices into complex ultrasonic systems, such as wire cleaning systems, too. The systems are produced to meet the customers requirements in terms of power, extended range of accessories and steady state proof equipment.
Hielscher USA, Inc. is the representative for Hielscher ultrasonic equipment in the North American market. It is located in Ringwood, NJ.

This release was published on openPR.