Production of stearic acid

- Shreya,
Sreeteja,
Raghuvamshi,
Bharat
 Energy balance
• Basis: 1 hour of operation
• Equations of Specific heat for Water and Tallow are:
Cp = A+BT+CT2+DT3

Component A B*103 C*105 D*109 temperature

Water 32.24 0.01923 1.055 -3.595 273-1800

Fat 1.9842 1.4733 0.48008 - 273-600

General expression of Specific heat for fatty acids is

Cp/R = 1.45+0.45 (1-Tr)-1+ 0.25ω [17.11+25.2 (1-Tr) 1/3 Tr-1+1.742

(1-Tr)-1]
where where T is actual temperature and Tc is critical
temperature.

Component Critical temperature

Stearic acid 796.65

Oleic acid 795.17

Palmitic acid 780.38

• Glycerol Cp=8.42+0.44*T - 3.159*10-4 T2.
• Temperature of Feed stream = 250C.
• Fat is heated from 298K to 533K before entering Fat splitter.
• Total Fat = 4275 kg.
• Total heat required to heat the fat = p dT=1753555 kJ/h

• Latent heat of steam = 1644.7 kJ/kg.

• Therefore, total amount of steam required =1066.18 kg

Enthalpy in Enthalpy out Steam input

1753555 1753555 1066.18

 Heat Balance in the Reactor:
• Tallow + 3(water) → 3(fatty acids) + glycerine
Component Heat of formation
Fat -42.66
Glycerin -90.81
Water -285.8

Heat of formation = 368+33*n, where n = no. of carbons in the

fatty acid
• n=18 (for stearic acid & oleic acid)

• n=16 (palmitic acid)

 Reactants Products
Fat= 4.94 kmol/h Stearic acid= 2.55kmol/h
Water=89.72kmol/h Palmitic acid= 4.255kmol/h
Oleic acid= 7.87kmol/h
Glycerol= 4.89kmol/h
Water = 75.05kmol/h
Unreacted Fat = 0.055 kmol/h.

Standard heat of formation of the reaction = Heat of formation of products-Heat of

formation of reactants
= [4.89 * (-90.81) + (2.4+7.4) * (-962) + 4 * (-896) + 75.05*(-285.08)] *
103 . - [4.89*(-42.66) + 89.72 * (-285.8)] * 10 3
= 16.5 *106 kJ/h (-9*106)
values