Alkylation of Fatty Acids in Supercritical Alcohols

Higher alcohol esters of fatty acids have various applications such as flavors, fuels, and lubricants. In this study, n-butyl and isoamyl esters of lauric acid and stearic acid have been synthesized at subcritical and supercritical conditions. Isoamyl alcohol, n-butanol, lauric acid, and stearic acid were chosen as reaction precursors as they can be derived from renewable feedstock. The effects of molar ratio of alcohol to fatty acid, temperature, and time on the esterification reactions were investigated. Maximum conversions up to 90% were obtained for the reactions of butanol with lauric acid and stearic acid, respectively. Similarly, maximum conversions of 80% were obtained for the reactions of isoamyl alcohol with lauric acid and stearic acid, respectively. The reactions were modeled by assuming pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the activation energies were determined