Reactive distillation column for esterification of lauric with methanol: Equilibrium vs. nonequilibrium approaches

A reactive distillation is developed for esterification of lauric acid with methanol using solid catalyst. The reactive distillation column consists of two separation zones and a reaction zone. A super-acid catalyst such as sulfate zirconia is the most suitable candidate for reactive distillation application as it has similar acidic strength to sulfuric acid and highly selective even at high alcohol/acid ratios. However, high content of the water in the reaction zone causes liquid-liquid separation leading to solid catalyst deactivation and inhibition to esterification. In this study, we propose a novel approach that effectively removes the water for the equilibrium and nonequilibrium designs of the esterification of lauric acid. The simulation involves sensitivity analysis of molar reflux ratio and side heater duty on the water concentration in the reactive zone and ester purity in the product stream. Correct placement of side reboiler not only removes water effectively, but also enhances conversion rate by increasing the reaction zone temperature and reduces exergy loss considerably.