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Plant Visit

The document discusses coconut and biodiesel production from coconut oil. It describes the parts of the coconut, differences between ripe and unripe coconuts, and statistics about the coconut industry in the Philippines. It then explains the process of converting coconut oil into biodiesel, known as coco methyl ester (CME), including transesterification reactions, distillation steps, and quality standards for biodiesel. Finally, it provides details about a biodiesel plant that produces 40 million liters per year of CME from coconut oil.

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Riscia Nadura
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61 views6 pages

Plant Visit

The document discusses coconut and biodiesel production from coconut oil. It describes the parts of the coconut, differences between ripe and unripe coconuts, and statistics about the coconut industry in the Philippines. It then explains the process of converting coconut oil into biodiesel, known as coco methyl ester (CME), including transesterification reactions, distillation steps, and quality standards for biodiesel. Finally, it provides details about a biodiesel plant that produces 40 million liters per year of CME from coconut oil.

Uploaded by

Riscia Nadura
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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COCONUT

Kernel (endosperm)
● Seed ng coconut
● Interest kasi nandito yung oil (~69%)

Unripe – buko – maraming water – lower carbohydrates content


Ripe – niyog – maraming oil – higher carbohydrates content

“1/4 of the Filipinos are under the coconut industry.”


“One of the most neglected industries in the Philippines is the coconut industry.”

Coconut grades (1,2,3)


● Higher number, lower oil content

Free fatty acids


● Derived from triglycerides (ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids)
● Types:
o C6 – hexanoic acid
o C8 – caprylic acid
o C10 – decanoic acid
o C12 – lauric acid
o C14 – myristic acid
o C16 – palmitic acid
o C18 – oleic acid

BIODIESEL

Biodiesel
● Sole purpose: control emission (How?)
o internal oxygen in ester promotes fast combustion and complete burning so fewer
unburned fuel emissions result. (Lesser particulate matter, unburned or partially unburned
hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions)
Comparison:
● Gasoline: additive: ethanol, MTBE
● Biodiesel: ester (CME)
● Petrol: no oxygen

CME – coco methyl ester


● For other purpose before used as biodiesel (What?)
o Oleochemical
o Part of cosmetics
o Soap (How?)
▪ May glycerol and soap pero madaling matunaw so nilalagyan ng oleochemical
para hindi mabilis na matunaw.

C6, C8, C10, C12


● Characteristics ng coconut at palm kernel oil
● Maliit ang molecular weight, saturated and mataas ang melting point so stable at high cooking
temperatures

C14, C16, C18


● Nakakacause ng diseases

“Coconut oil – best cooking oil there is.” – Cerin CCT (ito ata yung sa ChemRez) Price: 13$/kilo

MCT (medium chain triglycerides) – C6, C8, C10


● Can be separated via fractionation by crystallization
● Highly researched for medicinal value particularly for reversing Alzheimer’s.

PNS – check for biodiesel standards

Acid # - in terms of mg KOH/g sample

Cetane #
● Biodiesel – 55
● Diesel – 45
● Comparable with octane # in gasoline (Higher octane number, smoother ride)

Cloud point
● 5°C
● Refers to the temperature in which wax in biodiesel forms cloudy appearance.

Pour point
● Lower temp than cloud point
● Refers to the lowest temperature at which the fuel continues to flow so beyond this temperature,
di na pwede i-pump yung biodiesel.

FAME/ester content
● 96.5% minimum

Flash point
● Biodiesel: 100 °C
● Diesel: 72°C
● Refers to the temperature at which the liquid will produce sufficient vapor to produce a flammable
mixture in the air. Thus, safer ang biodiesel.
Glycerin content – 0.02 wt % max
Total glycerin content – 0.24 wt% max
● Glycerol is considered an impurity in the biodiesel.
● Triglyceride limit in engines is 0.20.

Iodine #
● Evaluates the stability of biodiesel to oxidation
● Measurement of total unsaturation of fatty acids
● Higher iodine number, biodiesel is easier to oxidize in air.
● Also, higher iodine number, higher tendency of biodiesel to polymerize and form deposits.

Methanol #
● 0.20 wt% max
● Lowers flash point temperature of biodiesel
● Paano aalisin? Huhugasan with water tas sasama lang siya sa tubig.

Methyl laurate
● 45 % minimum
● Malalaman kung may ibang oil na hinalo.
● How to check? Gas chromatography

Oxidation stability at 110°C


● 10 hours
● Measure of stability ng biodiesel.
● Dapat in 10 hours, walang mangyayari.

Phosphorus content
Ash content

Viscosity: 2-4.5
Water content: 0.05 vol % max

Biodiesel – controlled ang quality


FFA content: 0.1% max
Ave mol weight: 660 g/mol
Density: 0.915 g/ml

FFA ave mol weight: 207 g/mol

About the plant


● 1st Quarter ng 2009 nagstart mag-operate.
● Nandun na yung plant kaya doon sila nakabase.
● Raw materials:
o Coconut oil – from Quezon, Malabon, Visayas and Mindanao
o Methanol – imported
o Catalyst - imported
o All raw materials are delivered to the plant via truck.
● Capacity: 40 million liters per year
● Average power: 250 kW/hr (24/7 operation)
● Maintenance and shut-downs are scheduled during holidays. Usually 1-3 days lang.
● Wastes are stored then picked up. (Not sure which? Baka solid wastes lang to.)

CME PRODUCTION
Triglyceride + 3 methanol → CME +glycerol

Preparation of catalyzed methanol


● Methanol and catalyst is mixed slowly in the catalyst tank.
● Methanol first then NaOH.
● Methanol has 0.5 wt% dissolved NaOH catalyst.
● NaOH catalyst is in flakes form.
● Catalyst is loaded manually.
● Catalyzed methanol is pumped to the reactor.

1st reactor (Batch reactor)


Triglyceride + 15% catalyzed methanol
● 150 kiloliter ang capacity ng equipment pero ang load volume ay 125 kiloliter per batch.
● Raise temp to around 70°C. -> 60 na lang? hehe
● Mix/Agitate for two hours.
● Let the reaction settle for one hour w/o agitation.
● Bottoms – glycerol (S.G. 1.25)

2nd reactor (Batch reactor)


Triglyceride + 7% catalyzed methanol
● Same temp ata as 1st reactor (70°C)

Washing
● Same batch reactor.
● Hugasan twice with 5% water.
● 1st washing – may methanol pa.
● 2nd washing - usually wala ng methanol.

Bleaching
● Bleaching with activated carbon (0.7% moisture content after)
● 30 kiloliters ang capacity ng equipment.
● Based sa nahanap ko, para lang gumanda kulay ng biodiesel to.
● Activated carbon is in powder form.
● 2 hours.

Filter
● Filter press – hydraulic (0.5% moisture content after)
● Leaf filter can also be used kung under maintenance or nililinis yung filter press. More activated
carbon is used sa leaf filter. (Pwede pa-check kung totoo. Haha)

Crude CME is then pumped to the storage tank.


Dehydration
● By distillation under vacuum (effluent: 0.05% moisture content)
● Para matanggal yung tubig.
● Dehydration column temperatures.
o Bottom – 178° C
o Middle – 159° C
o Top - 135°C
● Pero may preheater pala muna to heat the crude CME to 146°C before ipasok sa dehydration
column.
● Yung preheater ay shell and tube heat exchanger.
● May 3 heat exchangers. (Economizer yung 1st HX then preheater then ano yung isa?)

BCR (bottom collection receiver) → quarantine tank → storage tank

Methanol recovery using distillation


● Bottom: glycerin water
● Vacuum distillation

Glycerin water would go to a reactor to remove water. (70% water to 10% water).
Then, ibebenta iyong glycerol na product.

Other notes:
● Brown pipes – Raw materials
● Green pipes – Finished product
● Fiber glass yung baba ng reactors kasi kinakain ng CME yung cement. So may leaks.
● Sample of byproducts are put in a centrifuge para macheck yung quality.
● Condenser – uling ang fuel.
● Thermal oil for heater (Mas madaling ma-reach kasi yung 290°C temperature requirement.)
● Usual wastewater treatment lang daw yung sa kanila. (e.g. oil separator → grit chamber →
aerator, etc)
●

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