Development of methodology and study of liquid-liquid equilibrium in systems involving the biofuel 2,5-dimethylfuran

Author(s)

Julio Lopes da Silva Junior

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Química
• Defense date: 2013-02-26

Examining board members

Martín Aznar; Rilvia Saraiva de Santiago Aguiar; Eduardo Augusto Caldas Batista

• Advisor: Martín Aznar

Abstract

2,5-Dimethylfuran (DMF) is a promising biofuel that can be produced by dehydration of fructose by acid catalysis in a biphasic reactor. For the design, operation and optimization of DMF production process, phase equilibrium data are necessary, aiming the separation and purification steps, as well as thermophysical properties of the involved compounds, useful in the calculation of transport properties. However, liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data of systems including DMF are not available in the literature at the present time. The main objective of this work was to determine experimentally LLE data of ternary systems water + DMF + solvents present in the separation steps of DMF production process in biphasic reactor, as well to develop the most suitable analytical methodology. 1-Butanol, 2-butanol and 1-hexanol were used as solvents and the tie-lines were determined at 25°C and 40°C and at atmospheric pressure of about 95.0 kPa. Three analytical techniques were tested: 1) densimetry and refractometry, 2) gas chromatography with internal standard method and 3) gas chromatography combined with Karl Fischer volumetric titration, the latter used in the equilibrium phases composition determination. LLE data of ternary system ethyl acetate + 1-butanol + water at 20°C was determined and compared with those available in the literature for validation of the analytical methodology. The results show that the studied systems have large immiscibility region and high selectivity values for the DMF; therefore, these alcohols are considered good solvents for application in DMF process production. Also, new measurements of pure DMF density, refractive index and viscosity were performed, obtained by using a vibrating U-tube densimeter, a refractometer and a falling ball viscometer, respectively, in the temperature range 15 to 60°C. The obtained LLE data were satisfactorily correlated with the NRTL model for the activity coefficient calculation, with root mean square deviation in composition less than 2% for all systems; new binary interaction parameters were determined in this correlation. The quality of the experimental data was ascertained by Bachman and Othmer-Tobias equations, with a correlation coefficient R2 > 0.97 for all cases (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/02899-2 - Liquid-liquid equilibrium in systems involving biofuels: water + 2,5-dimethylfuran + solvent
• Grantee: Julio Lopes da Silva Junior
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master