ESTERIFICATION OF OLEIC-ACID WITH METHANOL IN AN ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANE REACTOR

The esterification of oleic acid by methanol, catalyzed by cationic activation, is done quite quickly at room temperature in a new kind of reactor, fitted with ion , exchange membranes. The dimensionless kinetic law proposed for the present experiments is, indeed, suitable for all the possible reaction mechanisms when the cationic activation occurs only with one of the reactants. Verifications of the model occurs with some common inorganic (chlorhydric, sulfuric) and organic (methanesulfonic, partoluenesulfonic) acids, but not with others (acetic, phosphoric), with or without cation exchange resin in die main compartment, bounded by cation exchange membranes.