AN ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANE REACTOR FOR ESTERIFICATION OF OLEIC-ACID ANDMETHANOL - REMI

Full and complete esterification of oleic acid and methanol, catalyzed by cationic activation, is done quickly at room temperature in a new kind of reactor fitted with cation-exchange membranes, REMI. This type of reactor displays liquid phases and prevents the occurrence of the compensating ion of the proton, which catalyses the reaction, in the r eaction medium. Some common inorganic (hydrochloric, phosphoric, sulph uric) and organic (acetic, methane sulfonic, paratoluene sulfonic) aci ds were used as catalysts. With such a reactor, ester is produced quic kly at room temperature without mixing with the catalysing acid. No do wnstream processing is required. A dimensionless kinetic law is propos ed for the present experiments and is suitable for all possible reacti on mechanisms when cationic activation occurs with only one of the rea ctants.