Thermodynamics Research Center / ThermoML | Fluid Phase Equilibria

ABSTRACT

The phase behaviors for three ternary systems (methanol + glycerol + methyl laurate/ methyl myristate/ methyl palmitate) were studied at elevated temperatures (about 493.0 K, 523.0 K) and pressures by a flow-type method. The results demonstrated that the mole fractions of methanol in liquid phase increase and the mole fractions of glycerol and FAME decrease with increasing pressure. The influences of FAME molecular chain length on mutual solubility between methanol, glycerol and FAME in vapor phase were discussed. The experimental data were regressed by Redlich-Kwong-Soave equation of state (RKS EOS), RKS EOS combined with Boston and Mathias function (RKS-BM EOS) and Redlich-Kwong-Aspen equations of state (RK-ASPEN EOS) with van der Waals(vdW) mixing rule. The correlated results with RK-ASPEN EOS are more accurate than other EOSs. The vapor-liquid equilibria (VLE) experimental data can be employed for designing the methanol process and phase separation in biodiesel production technology.