TY - JOUR AB - Production of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) having high free fatty acids (FFA) was investigated in this work. Batch esterifications of PFAD were carried out to study the influence of: including reaction temperatures of 70-100 degrees C. molar ratios of methanol to PFAD of 0.4:1-12: 1, quantity of catalysts of 0-5.502% (wt of sulfuric acid/wt of PFAD) and reaction times of 15-240 min. The optimum condition for the continuous esterification process (CSTR) was molar ratio of methanol to PFAD at 8:1 with 1.834 wt% of H2SO4 at 70 degrees C under its own pressure with a retention time of 60 min. The amount of FFA was reduced from 93 wt% to less than 2 wt% at the end of the esterification process. The FAME was purified by neutralization with 3 M sodium hydroxide in water solution at a reaction temperature of 80 degrees C for 15 min followed by transesterification process with 0.396 M sodium hydroxide in methanol solution at a reaction temperature of 65 degrees C for 15 min. The final FAME product met with the Thai biodiesel quality standard, and ASTM D6751-02. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. AD - Prince Songkla Univ, Fac Engn, Dept Chem Engn, Hat Yai 90112, Songkhla, Thailand AN - WOS:000248711400004 AU - Chongkhong, S. AU - Tongurai, C. AU - Chetpattananondh, P. AU - Bunyakan, C. DA - Aug DO - 10.1016/j.biombioe.2007.03.001 IS - 8 J2 - Biomass Bioenerg KW - oleic acid LA - English N1 - 199qx PY - 2007 SN - 0961-9534 SP - 563-568 ST - Biodiesel production by esterification of palm fatty acid distillate T2 - Biomass & Bioenergy TI - Biodiesel production by esterification of palm fatty acid distillate UR - ://WOS:000248711400004 VL - 31 ID - 3673 ER -