The process starts with mixing 200 kg/h
of methanol and 10 kg/h of sodium hydroxide
at the mixer (M1) before pumping the mixture
to the heat exchanger (H1) to the temperature
to 60๐C. At the same time, 1,000 kg/h of
microalgae oil is pumped to another the heat
exchanger (H2) to heat it up to 60๐C. Both the
mixture of methanol and sodium hydroxide as
well as microalgae oil are sent to the reactor
(REACTOR) to react by transesterification at
60๐C and atmospheric pressure. The products
consist of a main product (biodiesel), byproduct
(glycerol), and methanol, catalyst, and
unconverted oil appearing in stream 6. These
products are pumped into the distillation
column (D1) in order to recover the methanol
back to the mixer (M1). An extraction column
(EXTRACT) is utilized for washing biodiesel by
using water and for separating biodiesel and
glycerol at the same time. FLASH is used to
purify biodiesel for obtaining the 99.7% of
biodiesel appeared in the FAME stream.
Glycerol, sodium hydroxide, some water, and
some methanol are separated in an extraction
column. The function of the second reactor
(REACTOR2) is to neutralize or change sodium
hydroxide into sodium sulfate by using 13 kg/h