Hajar Rastegari - Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
Hassan S. Ghaziaskar - Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

A continuous and selective method for monoacetin synthesis was developed. Effects of the process parameters including reaction temperatures (100-140) oC, acetic acid to glycerol mol ratios (1-3), feed flow rates (0.2-0.6) mL.min-1, and pressures (1-160) bar on the glycerol conversion and the monoacetin selectivity were studied. At the optimum conditions of 100 oC, acetic acid to glycerol mol ratio of 1, feed flow rate of 0.6 mL.min-1, and 1 bar, the glycerol conversion and monoacetin selectivity was respectively, 53% and 93%. The effect of water amount in the feed (3-15) % was also studied at the optimum conditions. By increasing the water content in the feed to 15% by weight, a monoacetin selectivity of 99% was achieved

Continuous esterification, Selective esterification, Monoacetin, acetic acid, glycerol