18 research outputs found
Process design and techno‐economic analysis of ethyl levulinate production from carbon dioxide and 1,4‐butanediol as an alternative biofuel and fuel additive
Entrainer selection for the synthesis of fatty acid esters by entrainer-based reactive distillation
Residue curve maps, flash simulations and column simulation are used to investigate
the effect of various entrainers with different polarity an esterification with isopropanol
through Entrainer-based Reactive Distillation. Non-polar solvents are predicted to
be good entrainers. For a more quantitative selection of entrainers further research
concerning the thermodynamics is needed. © 2006 IChem
Preliminary evidence that resting state heart rate variability predicts reactivity to tactile stimuli in Rett syndrome
Optimally designed reactive distillation processes for eco‐efficient production of ethyl levulinate
BACKGROUND: Ethyl levulinate (EL) is an important chemical that can be used as a bio-based replacement of fuel additives such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME). EL production from lactic acid and ethanol is a viable option, as both precursors can be obtained from biomass. However, the problem of EL production by esterification is that this reaction is hindered by the chemical equilibrium limitations and the boiling points ranking, which is not the most favorable. RESULTS: This study provides novel optimally designed reactive distillation (RD) processes for the production of EL, taking into account costs, environmental impact and safety. The thermally coupled RD process is the most appealing, with the lowest energy use (1.667 MJ kg−1 EL), minimal investment cost, major energy savings (up to 54.3% lower than other RD processes), reduced environmental impact (up to 51% lower ECO99 index value) and similar safety as other RD processes considered (less than 2% differences in the individual risk (IR) indicator). CONCLUSION: The multi-objective optimization approach used here showed its robustness, practicality and flexibility to provide multiple optimal designs of intensified processes that are economically attractive, environmentally friendly and inherently safe