Esterification of acids from Crude Jatropha Curcas Seed Oil using Clamp-On Tubular Reactor

Crude Jatropha Curcas Oil (CJCO) has high free fatty acids (9% FFA) and it must be reduced with esterification of acids process. Otherwise high FFA will cause the soap formation and the separation of products will be exceedingly difficult. As a result, it has low yield of biodiesel product. This paper shows esterification of acids from CJCO using Clamp-on Tubular Ultrasound Reactor with different tube diameter. Esterification of acids process was carried out with 0.60 w/w methanol to oil ratio in the presence of 1 % w/w sulfate acid as an acid catalyst using low frequency ultrasound (20-22 kHz) with tube diameter of 21 mm and 60 mm. Processing time were varied between 3 - 60 minutes. After esterification acids process, the acid value of the reaction mixture was determined by the acid base titration. An Attenuated Total Reflection Graph was used to monitor the absorbent peak of methanol and ester on esterification of acids. The high FFA was reduced to less than 1 % using clamp-on tubular reactor with tube diameter 60 mm in 7 minute. This process can reduce processing time by almost 88 % than that of conventional one.