Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.52, No.47, 16637-16647, 2013
Esterification of Fusel Oil Using Reactive Distillation. Part II: Process Alternatives
In this work, we have studied the potential of reactive distillation for the valorization of fusel oil, i.e., a mixture of alcohols obtained as a distillery waste. It is proposed to react these alcohols in the mixture with acetic acid and separate the esters in pure form. Experiments are performed in a laboratory scale reactive distillation column, and a simulation model is validated. Different process alternatives exist, and we have compared them based on the total energy consumption as the criterion. The potentially cost-effective alternatives are identified. It is shown that reactive distillation, which is a proven intensification strategy for esterification of individual alcohols, can be a promising option for simultaneous esterification of mixture of alcohols, as well.