Dingsheng Machine Supports the Construction of Biodiesel Plant, Welcoming Customers for Visits and Cooperation Discussions.
Date:Jul 3rd, 2023
Biodiesel is a green renewable energy substance. It can be produced using various raw materials such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, palm oil, and high-acid value kitchen waste oil. By combining these raw materials with methanol as a substrate, a process of transesterification or esterification is carried out to generate fatty acid methyl esters. The fatty acid methyl esters are then subjected to processes such as water washing, drying, and polishing filtration to obtain the finished biodiesel. Dingsheng Machine, with its advanced technology and extensive experience, assists customers in establishing efficient biodiesel plants. The company provides comprehensive project support to help establish high-efficiency biodiesel factories.
China has been continuously improving the production processes of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) to address the specificity of different raw materials. The main production technologies include high-temperature cracking, acid-base method, hydrolysis acidification method, enzymatic method, and supercritical method.
The high-temperature cracking method is a process in which small molecules are generated by breaking chemical bonds in the presence of air or nitrogen flow. This method has the advantages of simple operation, no pollution, low viscosity of the product, and good flowability. However, it requires significant equipment investment, and controlling the reaction degree and product yield can be challenging. Although the cracked products have similar chemical properties to petroleum gasoline and petrochemical diesel fuel, they lose the environmental advantages of oxygen-saturated materials during the thermal cracking process.
The "acid-base method" for biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) production is a relatively mature process in China. Currently, the biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) production using the acid-base method mainly employs a "two-step" process. For high acid value oils and fats, the process starts with an acid-catalyzed pre-esterification reaction, converting the fatty acids in waste oils into fatty acid methyl esters. Subsequently, an alkaline catalyst is used for ester exchange reactions, further converting the triglycerides in waste oils into fatty acid methyl esters and glycerol. The advantages of this method include mature technology, lower investment, and wide application. However, it has drawbacks such as the use of strong acids and bases as catalysts, high corrosiveness, high equipment requirements, and difficulties in recovery. It also generates waste acid and alkali, leading to potential environmental pollution. Glycerol recovery is challenging, and the reaction time is long with lower yields. The method operates in batch mode, requiring significant manual labor.
The hydrolysis acidification method is an improvement based on the "acid-base catalysis method." It involves complete hydrolysis of the raw oil into fatty acids, followed by the production of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) using an acid catalyst, eliminating the need for subsequent alkaline catalysis. Continuous hydrolysis technology, high vacuum distillation technology, resin fixed-bed catalytic esterification technology, falling film evaporation technology, efficient distillation technology, and thermal network integration technology can be employed to achieve continuous operation of the acid-catalyzed process. The advantages of this method include wide applicability of raw materials, minimal wastewater generation, high conversion rate, and good product quality. However, it requires higher investment.
The enzymatic method utilizes lipases as catalysts to produce biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester). This method has advantages such as simple reaction, easy control of reaction conditions, low alcohol usage, and glycerol recovery without waste generation. However, lipases exhibit low conversion rates (around 85%-90%) for short-chain fatty alcohols such as methanol or ethanol, and these alcohols have some toxicity to the enzymes, leading to a short lifespan. Glycerol and water, as byproducts, are difficult to recover, inhibiting the formation of the desired product. Moreover, glycerol is toxic to immobilized enzymes, resulting in a short lifespan for these enzymes. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the generated glycerol during the reaction. The expensive cost of enzymes and long reaction times make this method unsuitable for large-scale production.
The supercritical method involves fully dissolving triglycerides in methanol, forming a single-phase system under high-temperature and high-pressure supercritical conditions, allowing rapid completion of the reaction. The advantages of this method include the ability to use various waste animal and vegetable oils as raw materials, short ester exchange time (5-15 minutes), high conversion rate (above 95%), and no need for catalysts. However, the reaction requires high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, demanding sophisticated equipment and substantial investment, making it unsuitable for large-scale production.
As a professional equipment supplier, Dingsheng Machine provides comprehensive project support in the construction of biodiesel production lines. We offer end-to-end solutions ranging from process design, equipment manufacturing, installation, and commissioning to after-sales services. We are capable of providing customized project support for biodiesel production lines based on our customers' needs and requirements. We welcome customers to visit our factory in China for in-depth discussions and cooperation opportunities.
Biodiesel Plant Solution Expert Team:
Justin Han
Email: company@dingmachinery.com
Phone: +86-159 3716 3029
Address: 100M East from the crossings of Jinjiang Road and Huaiyang Road, Shangjie District, Zhengzhou City, China.
China has been continuously improving the production processes of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) to address the specificity of different raw materials. The main production technologies include high-temperature cracking, acid-base method, hydrolysis acidification method, enzymatic method, and supercritical method.
The high-temperature cracking method is a process in which small molecules are generated by breaking chemical bonds in the presence of air or nitrogen flow. This method has the advantages of simple operation, no pollution, low viscosity of the product, and good flowability. However, it requires significant equipment investment, and controlling the reaction degree and product yield can be challenging. Although the cracked products have similar chemical properties to petroleum gasoline and petrochemical diesel fuel, they lose the environmental advantages of oxygen-saturated materials during the thermal cracking process.
The "acid-base method" for biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) production is a relatively mature process in China. Currently, the biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) production using the acid-base method mainly employs a "two-step" process. For high acid value oils and fats, the process starts with an acid-catalyzed pre-esterification reaction, converting the fatty acids in waste oils into fatty acid methyl esters. Subsequently, an alkaline catalyst is used for ester exchange reactions, further converting the triglycerides in waste oils into fatty acid methyl esters and glycerol. The advantages of this method include mature technology, lower investment, and wide application. However, it has drawbacks such as the use of strong acids and bases as catalysts, high corrosiveness, high equipment requirements, and difficulties in recovery. It also generates waste acid and alkali, leading to potential environmental pollution. Glycerol recovery is challenging, and the reaction time is long with lower yields. The method operates in batch mode, requiring significant manual labor.
The hydrolysis acidification method is an improvement based on the "acid-base catalysis method." It involves complete hydrolysis of the raw oil into fatty acids, followed by the production of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) using an acid catalyst, eliminating the need for subsequent alkaline catalysis. Continuous hydrolysis technology, high vacuum distillation technology, resin fixed-bed catalytic esterification technology, falling film evaporation technology, efficient distillation technology, and thermal network integration technology can be employed to achieve continuous operation of the acid-catalyzed process. The advantages of this method include wide applicability of raw materials, minimal wastewater generation, high conversion rate, and good product quality. However, it requires higher investment.
The enzymatic method utilizes lipases as catalysts to produce biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester). This method has advantages such as simple reaction, easy control of reaction conditions, low alcohol usage, and glycerol recovery without waste generation. However, lipases exhibit low conversion rates (around 85%-90%) for short-chain fatty alcohols such as methanol or ethanol, and these alcohols have some toxicity to the enzymes, leading to a short lifespan. Glycerol and water, as byproducts, are difficult to recover, inhibiting the formation of the desired product. Moreover, glycerol is toxic to immobilized enzymes, resulting in a short lifespan for these enzymes. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the generated glycerol during the reaction. The expensive cost of enzymes and long reaction times make this method unsuitable for large-scale production.
The supercritical method involves fully dissolving triglycerides in methanol, forming a single-phase system under high-temperature and high-pressure supercritical conditions, allowing rapid completion of the reaction. The advantages of this method include the ability to use various waste animal and vegetable oils as raw materials, short ester exchange time (5-15 minutes), high conversion rate (above 95%), and no need for catalysts. However, the reaction requires high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, demanding sophisticated equipment and substantial investment, making it unsuitable for large-scale production.
As a professional equipment supplier, Dingsheng Machine provides comprehensive project support in the construction of biodiesel production lines. We offer end-to-end solutions ranging from process design, equipment manufacturing, installation, and commissioning to after-sales services. We are capable of providing customized project support for biodiesel production lines based on our customers' needs and requirements. We welcome customers to visit our factory in China for in-depth discussions and cooperation opportunities.
Biodiesel Plant Solution Expert Team:
Justin Han
Email: company@dingmachinery.com
Phone: +86-159 3716 3029
Address: 100M East from the crossings of Jinjiang Road and Huaiyang Road, Shangjie District, Zhengzhou City, China.
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