Synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters via non-catalytic transesterification of avocado oil with dimethyl carbonate

Abstract

This paper is primarily a case study on transesterification of avocado oil for the synthesis of biodiesel. Many operational parameters and components were studied in an attempt to identify the optimal process for non-catalytic transesterification, and dimethyl carbonate (DMC), an acyl acceptor was identified as key to one very efficient methodology. Non-catalytic transesterification experiments using DMC and/or methanol (MeOH) were conducted under varied temperatures and varied amounts of silica loading. The maximum yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) of 92.96% was shown to be achievable at 380 °C. The miscibility of avocado oil and DMC was seen to be a key factor in providing a strategic means for delaying thermal cracking of FAMEs. Lastly, this study reported that the optimal mass ratio of silica to oil was over 8 at 380 °C.