Methyl Esterification of Oleic Acid in Supercritical Methanol with Methyl Formate

Fatty acid methyl esters, which are used as biodiesel, can be produced by esterification of fatty acids in supercritical methanol. However, a reverse reaction, esters hydrolyzed to regenerate due the presence water, is making it difficult reduce content sufficiently. In this study, oleic was treated methanol at 310 °C/20 MPa with flow-type reactor adding formate improve yield ester. As result, improved ester approximately from 90 95 wt% compared treatment using only. Methyl instead producing formic and Formic decomposed into gases such H2 CO2 thermal decomposition these reactions consume removing reaction system, equilibrium considered shifted direction yield.