Mass balances

1. List down all the data given and collected.

Table 1. Relevant data for transesterification of palm oil.
Other Data Value
SG of biodiesel and palm oil 0.79
Methanol SG 0.7527
Product flow rate (L/day) 100000
Product purity 0.98
Fractional conversion 0.82
Fractional conversion
stepwise 0.93599
Inventory (days) 60
Methanol MM (kg/kmol) 32.042
Methanol viscosity (cP) 0.37
Triglyceride MM (kg/kmol) 846.0792
Diglyceride MM (kg/kmol) 594.7508
Monoglyceride MM
(kg/kmol) 343.4223
Glycerol MM (kg/mol) 92.094
Glycerol density (kg/L) 1.26
NaOH density (kg/L) 2.13
NaOH %wt 0.01
K1 0.036
K2 0.07
K3 0.141

2. Calculate the molar mass of the biodiesel product.

Table 2. Calculation of the average molar mass of biodiesel.
Mole Mole
Methyl Ester C / mol Comp. MM Amount Comp. App. MM
Methyl laurate (12:0) 12 0.0035 214.349 1.63285E-05 0.0046 0.99360596
Methyl myristate (14:0) 14 0.0108 242.403 4.45539E-05 0.0126 3.06598412
Methyl palmitate (16:0) 16 0.4379 270.45 0.001619153 0.4597 124.314301
Methyl palmitolate (16:1) 16 0.0015 268.441 5.58782E-06 0.0016 0.42583113
Methyl stearate (18:0) 18 0.0442 298.511 0.000148068 0.0420 12.5478239
Methyl oleate (18:1) 18 0.399 296.495 0.001345723 0.3820 113.27108
Methyl linoleate (18:2) 18 0.0959 294.479 0.00032566 0.0925 27.2248034
Methyl linolenate (18:3) 18 0.0017 292.463 5.8127E-06 0.0017 0.48260861
Methyl arachidate (20:0) 20 0.0038 326.565 1.16363E-05 0.0033 1.07877219
TOTAL 0.9983 0.003522523 283.40481
 3. Calculate the average molar mass of the fatty acids.
Table 3. Calculation of the average molar mass of fatty acids present in triglycerides.
Mole Mole
Palm Oil Carbon Comp. MM Amount Comp. App. MM
Lauric acid 12 0.002 200.318 9.98413E-06 0.0027 0.54085235
Myristic acid 14 0.011 228.37 4.81674E-05 0.0130 2.97468795
Palmitic acid 16 0.44 256.4 0.001716069 0.4641 118.987518
Stearic acid 18 0.045 284.48 0.000158183 0.0428 12.169178
Oleic acid 18 0.392 282.47 0.001387758 0.3753 106.007061
Linoleic acid 18 0.101 280.447 0.000360139 0.0974 27.3130439
Linolenic acid 18 0.004 278.43 1.43663E-05 0.0039 1.08170471
Arachidic acid 20 0.001 312.53 3.19969E-06 0.0009 0.27042618
TOTAL 0.996 0.003697867 846.079236

4. Calculate the amounts of reactants and intermediates based on the amount of biodiesel
produced.
a. The amount of palm oil is determined by setting the biodiesel produced equal to
the amount of biodiesel in the products (100000L/day). The solver function in
excel was used to calculate the amount of biodiesel.

(1) 𝐵𝑖𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑑 = 𝑇𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑,1 + 𝐷𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑,2 + 𝑀𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑,3

1
(2) 𝑇𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑,1 = 𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑇𝐺 (0.823 )
1
(3) 𝐷𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑,2 = 𝑇𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑,1 (0.823 )
1
(4) 𝑀𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑,3 = 𝐷𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑,2 (0.823 )
(5) 𝐵𝑖𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑑 = (100000𝐿/𝑑𝑎𝑦)(0.98𝑘𝑔 𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙/𝑘𝑔)(0.79 𝑘𝑔/𝐿)/
𝑘𝑔
(283.40481 𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙 )

= 𝟐𝟕𝟑. 𝟏𝟖𝟕𝟏 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍/𝒅𝒂𝒚

Using these equations, the amounts of glycerol, intermediate glycerides, as well as

actual TG can be solved.
Table 4. Calculation of the amounts of glycerides reacted, methyl esters formed, and the actual
triglycerides fed.

Species Amount (kmol/day)

Methyl esters (biodiesel) 273.1781
Actual TG fed 103.7884
TG reacted in first reaction 97.1449
DG reacted in the second reaction 90.9267
MG reacted in the third reaction 85.1065

5. Calculate the volumetric flow rate of palm oil required in the process.
(𝑇𝐺 𝑓𝑒𝑑)(𝑀𝑀 𝑇𝐺)
𝑉𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑚 𝑜𝑖𝑙 =
(𝜌 𝑇𝐺)
(103.7884 𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑑𝑎𝑦)(846.079 𝑘𝑔/𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙)
𝑉𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑚 𝑜𝑖𝑙 = = 𝟏𝟏𝟏, 𝟏𝟓𝟓. 𝟗𝟔𝟐𝟑 𝑳/𝒅𝒂𝒚
(0.79 𝑘𝑔/𝐿)
6. Calculate the amount of methanol required in the process.
Note: Process specification stated that 6 kmol of methanol are required for every kmol of
palm oil fed. The amount of MeOH reacted is equal to the amount of biodiesel formed.
𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑀𝑒𝑂𝐻 = 6 (𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑇𝐺) = 6(103.7884 )
𝑑𝑎𝑦
= 𝟔𝟐𝟐. 𝟕𝟑𝟎𝟒 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍/𝒅𝒂𝒚

Table 5. Calculation of the amount of methanol required and excess in the process.

Species Amount
TG fed (kmol/day) 103.7884
MeOH fed (kmol/day) 622.7304
MeOH fed (kg/day) 19953.5275
MeOH fed (L/day) 26509.2699
MeOH reacted (kmol/day) 273.1871
MeOH excess (kmol/day) 349.5433
MeOH excess (L/day) 14880.2357
 7. Calculate the amount of NaOH required in the process.
Note: Process specification stated that the mass of NaOH required is only 1% of the
amount of palm oil fed.

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 = 0.01(𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑇𝐺)

103.7884𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑘𝑔
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 = 0.01 ( ) (846.079236 ) = 𝟖𝟕𝟖. 𝟏𝟑𝟐𝟏 𝒌𝒈/𝒅𝒂𝒚
𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙
Note: NaOH is assumed to have a volume contribution equal to its solid volume after
dissolution in MeOH.
8. Calculate the total volume of intermediates from the excess reactants and products
formed.
Note: The volume of intermediates was estimated through assumption of volume
contribution of all excess reactants and products formed. Also, it was assumed that the
specific gravity of all glycerides is 0.79. The amount of glycerol formed is the amount of
MG reacted. The amount of MG in excess equals the amount of DG reacted minus the
amount of MG reacted. The amount of DG in excess equals the amount of TG reacted
minus the amount of DG reacted.

Table 6. Calculation of total volume of intermediates.

Species Amount
TG, fed (L/day) 111,155.9623
TG, reacted (L/day) 104040.8872
TG, excess (L/day) 7,115.0751
Biodiesel formed (L/day) 100000
Glycerol produced (kmol/day) 85.1065
Glycerol produced (L/day) 6,220.4616
MeOH, excess (L/day) 14880.2357
NaOH present (L/day) 412.2685925
DG, excess (L/day) 4,681.3892
MG, excess (L/day) 2,530.1106
Total volume of intermediates (L/day) 135,839.5407