Modeling the kinetics of transesterification of jatropha-based methyl esters with trimethylolpropane

Modeling transesterification kinetics of trimethylolpropane with jatropha-based methyl esters using acid catalyst had been performed. Nonlinear regression method was used for model development to determine the rate constants for both forward and reverse reactions. The model had previously been validated using data from literature on transesterification of trimethylolpropane with palm-based methyl esters using sodium methoxide catalyst. The model was based on the reverse mechanism of transesterification reactions and describes concentration changes of trimethylolpropane, monoesters and diesters production. The reaction rate constants were determined using MATLAB version 7.8. The rate determining step of transesterification of TMP is favored at higher temperatures, which is typical observation for an endothermic reaction. The developed model was also validated against data from the literature. A reasonable correlation between model simulations and experimental data was observed