Esterification – 2

Feedstock Pretreatment – High FFA Pretreatment

In today’s market, feedstock price and availability constantly fluctuate. That’s why having a multi-feedstock biodiesel plant isn’t just an advantage—it’s essential for staying competitive. If your plant uses only refined oils, adding High Free Fatty Acid (FFA) Pretreatment opens the door to more affordable and diverse feedstocks, such as Esterification.

Feedstocks like beef tallow, chicken fat, algae oil, and Jatropha are becoming more accessible. They’re cost-effective but contain high levels of FFA, making them unsuitable for direct base transesterification. That’s where esterification plays a vital role.

Why Esterification Matters

When feedstocks contain excess free fatty acids, they must undergo ester-ification to ensure high biodiesel yield. First, the feedstock must be filtered to remove contaminants and water. Clean, dry oil improves reaction efficiency and prevents process issues.

Next, the filtered oil enters the acid or resin esterification system. Here, sulfuric acid, dissolved in methanol, reacts with the free fatty acids. After heating and mixing, the FFAs convert to biodiesel. The final step involves dewatering the product before sending it to transesterification.

Scalable Esterification Solutions

SRS International offers two advanced esterification systems. Both are skid-mounted, scalable, and designed for continuous flow. They integrate seamlessly with existing biodiesel plants and convert high-FFA feedstocks with no yield loss.

Whether you’re upgrading an existing facility or building a turnkey refinery, SRS’s pretreatment technology gives you the flexibility to use a wide range of feedstocks. That flexibility keeps your operations cost-effective and future ready.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y7X0mUDnvA0Need help deciding which Esterification Method is best for you?

Also check out, “Transesterification“