19-08-2014, 10:16 AM
The application of cavitation in chemical reactions is quiet inexpensive on a laboratory scale and it has the distinct advantage that the methodology is straightforward with the requirements of relatively simple apparatus. This new technology arises mainly for those reactions, which require very extreme conditions otherwise. The generation of extreme temperature and pressure conditions such as 5000K and 1000 atm due to the collapse of the cavities result in the generation of free radicals, which is the basis of chemical transformations.
The application of cavitation in chemical reactions is quiet inexpensive on a laboratory scale and it has the distinct advantage that the methodology is straightforward with the requirements of relatively simple apparatus. This new technology arises mainly for those reactions, which require very extreme conditions otherwise. The generation of extreme temperature and pressure conditions such as 5000K and 1000 atm due to the collapse of the cavities result in the generation of free radicals, which is the basis of chemical transformations.
Three different esterification reactions have been studied under cavitation. In first case esterification of PFAD with isopropyl alcohol with sulfuric acid as catalyst have been studied. The results of the reaction under acoustic cavitation have been compared with that with mechanical agitation. The effect of various parameters such as molar ratio of PFAD to IPA, catalyst loading and temperature of reaction on the rate
of reaction has been studied.
The kinetic parameters have been estimated and a kinetic model of the reaction scheme has been proposed.The esterification of PFAD with methanol using concentrated H2SO4 as a catalyst has been carried out to produce methyl esters. The different parameters such as reaction temperature, catalyst concentration, and molar ratio of FA to methanol have been studied for conversion in excess of 95%. The kinetic of the reaction has been proposed and kinetic parameters have been estimated based on the proposed kinetic model.