COCONUT

Kernel (endosperm)
● Seed ng coconut
● Interest kasi nandito yung oil (~69%)

Unripe – buko – maraming water – lower carbohydrates content

Ripe – niyog – maraming oil – higher carbohydrates content

“1/4 of the Filipinos are under the coconut industry.”

“One of the most neglected industries in the Philippines is the coconut industry.”

Coconut grades (1,2,3)

● Higher number, lower oil content

Free fatty acids

● Derived from triglycerides (ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids)
● Types:
o C6 – hexanoic acid
o C8 – caprylic acid
o C10 – decanoic acid
o C12 – lauric acid
o C14 – myristic acid
o C16 – palmitic acid
o C18 – oleic acid

BIODIESEL

Biodiesel
● Sole purpose: control emission (How?)
o internal oxygen in ester promotes fast combustion and complete burning so fewer
unburned fuel emissions result. (Lesser particulate matter, unburned or partially unburned
hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions)
Comparison:
● Gasoline: additive: ethanol, MTBE
● Biodiesel: ester (CME)
● Petrol: no oxygen

CME – coco methyl ester

● For other purpose before used as biodiesel (What?)
o Oleochemical
o Part of cosmetics
o Soap (How?)
 ▪ May glycerol and soap pero madaling matunaw so nilalagyan ng oleochemical
para hindi mabilis na matunaw.

C6, C8, C10, C12

● Characteristics ng coconut at palm kernel oil
● Maliit ang molecular weight, saturated and mataas ang melting point so stable at high cooking
temperatures

C14, C16, C18

● Nakakacause ng diseases

“Coconut oil – best cooking oil there is.” – Cerin CCT (ito ata yung sa ChemRez) Price: 13$/kilo

MCT (medium chain triglycerides) – C6, C8, C10

● Can be separated via fractionation by crystallization
● Highly researched for medicinal value particularly for reversing Alzheimer’s.

PNS – check for biodiesel standards

Acid # - in terms of mg KOH/g sample

Cetane #
● Biodiesel – 55
● Diesel – 45
● Comparable with octane # in gasoline (Higher octane number, smoother ride)

Cloud point
● 5°C
● Refers to the temperature in which wax in biodiesel forms cloudy appearance.

Pour point
● Lower temp than cloud point
● Refers to the lowest temperature at which the fuel continues to flow so beyond this temperature,
di na pwede i-pump yung biodiesel.

FAME/ester content
● 96.5% minimum

Flash point
● Biodiesel: 100 °C
● Diesel: 72°C
● Refers to the temperature at which the liquid will produce sufficient vapor to produce a flammable
mixture in the air. Thus, safer ang biodiesel.
Glycerin content – 0.02 wt % max
Total glycerin content – 0.24 wt% max
● Glycerol is considered an impurity in the biodiesel.
● Triglyceride limit in engines is 0.20.

Iodine #
● Evaluates the stability of biodiesel to oxidation
● Measurement of total unsaturation of fatty acids
● Higher iodine number, biodiesel is easier to oxidize in air.
● Also, higher iodine number, higher tendency of biodiesel to polymerize and form deposits.

Methanol #
● 0.20 wt% max
● Lowers flash point temperature of biodiesel
● Paano aalisin? Huhugasan with water tas sasama lang siya sa tubig.

Methyl laurate
● 45 % minimum
● Malalaman kung may ibang oil na hinalo.
● How to check? Gas chromatography

Oxidation stability at 110°C

● 10 hours
● Measure of stability ng biodiesel.
● Dapat in 10 hours, walang mangyayari.

Phosphorus content
Ash content

Viscosity: 2-4.5
Water content: 0.05 vol % max

Biodiesel – controlled ang quality

FFA content: 0.1% max
Ave mol weight: 660 g/mol
Density: 0.915 g/ml

FFA ave mol weight: 207 g/mol

About the plant

● 1st Quarter ng 2009 nagstart mag-operate.
● Nandun na yung plant kaya doon sila nakabase.
● Raw materials:
o Coconut oil – from Quezon, Malabon, Visayas and Mindanao
o Methanol – imported
o Catalyst - imported
 o All raw materials are delivered to the plant via truck.
● Capacity: 40 million liters per year
● Average power: 250 kW/hr (24/7 operation)
● Maintenance and shut-downs are scheduled during holidays. Usually 1-3 days lang.
● Wastes are stored then picked up. (Not sure which? Baka solid wastes lang to.)

CME PRODUCTION
Triglyceride + 3 methanol → CME +glycerol

Preparation of catalyzed methanol

● Methanol and catalyst is mixed slowly in the catalyst tank.
● Methanol first then NaOH.
● Methanol has 0.5 wt% dissolved NaOH catalyst.
● NaOH catalyst is in flakes form.
● Catalyst is loaded manually.
● Catalyzed methanol is pumped to the reactor.

1st reactor (Batch reactor)

Triglyceride + 15% catalyzed methanol
● 150 kiloliter ang capacity ng equipment pero ang load volume ay 125 kiloliter per batch.
● Raise temp to around 70°C. -> 60 na lang? hehe
● Mix/Agitate for two hours.
● Let the reaction settle for one hour w/o agitation.
● Bottoms – glycerol (S.G. 1.25)

2nd reactor (Batch reactor)

Triglyceride + 7% catalyzed methanol
● Same temp ata as 1st reactor (70°C)

Washing
● Same batch reactor.
● Hugasan twice with 5% water.
● 1st washing – may methanol pa.
● 2nd washing - usually wala ng methanol.

Bleaching
● Bleaching with activated carbon (0.7% moisture content after)
● 30 kiloliters ang capacity ng equipment.
● Based sa nahanap ko, para lang gumanda kulay ng biodiesel to.
● Activated carbon is in powder form.
● 2 hours.

Filter
● Filter press – hydraulic (0.5% moisture content after)
● Leaf filter can also be used kung under maintenance or nililinis yung filter press. More activated
 carbon is used sa leaf filter. (Pwede pa-check kung totoo. Haha)

Crude CME is then pumped to the storage tank.

Dehydration
● By distillation under vacuum (effluent: 0.05% moisture content)
● Para matanggal yung tubig.
● Dehydration column temperatures.
o Bottom – 178° C
o Middle – 159° C
o Top - 135°C
● Pero may preheater pala muna to heat the crude CME to 146°C before ipasok sa dehydration
column.
● Yung preheater ay shell and tube heat exchanger.
● May 3 heat exchangers. (Economizer yung 1st HX then preheater then ano yung isa?)

BCR (bottom collection receiver) → quarantine tank → storage tank

Methanol recovery using distillation

● Bottom: glycerin water
● Vacuum distillation

Glycerin water would go to a reactor to remove water. (70% water to 10% water).
Then, ibebenta iyong glycerol na product.

Other notes:
● Brown pipes – Raw materials
● Green pipes – Finished product
● Fiber glass yung baba ng reactors kasi kinakain ng CME yung cement. So may leaks.
● Sample of byproducts are put in a centrifuge para macheck yung quality.
● Condenser – uling ang fuel.
● Thermal oil for heater (Mas madaling ma-reach kasi yung 290°C temperature requirement.)
● Usual wastewater treatment lang daw yung sa kanila. (e.g. oil separator → grit chamber →
aerator, etc)
●