CHED 209 |
| Environmentally friendly and renewable alternative sources are expected to fill the worlds increasing energy demands. One such source is fatty acid alkyl esters, or biodiesel, especially those produced from the transesterification of triglycerides from both waste and virgin vegetable oils. There is much interest in studying the kinetics of the transesterification reaction at various conditions and developing optimum conditions. However, this can often be difficult because the heterogeneity associated with triglyceride alkyl chains results in products that are indistinguishable by common analytical methods. The goal of this study was to use a triglyceride with homogenous chains to serve as a model system for the transesterification of triglycerides. Using a commercially available and inexpensive triglyceride, trilauroylglycerol, a major substituent of coconut oil, the kinetics of the alkali-catalyzed transesterification reaction were studied using high-temperature gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Also, the kinetics of novel gas-phase catalyst were explored. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Analytical Chemistry
11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |