Optimization of esterification reactions of vegeteble fatty acids

The most crucial part of today's industrial work is to determine the market price of the product. In this context, one of the issues the focus of competitive economic perspective also undoubtedly is to increase the added value of by-products. 3 million tons a year in our country are produced and rafined edible oil average 2,250 tons of fatty acid essential distilate came to consiver evaluation of the edible oil industry byproduct is emerging on the importance of the subject. Fatty acid esters make a difference with their technical advantages in so many areas especially food additives, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. In this study, the optimization of esterification reactions of sunflower oil, corn oil and olive oil volatile distillates according to Taguchi method was performed. Effect of alcohol amount, acid amount, temperature, reaction time and mixing speed parameters were studied. The optimal conditions were determined using the L16 and L9 orthogonal sequences by applying Taguchi's 'highest-best' performance statistic. The optimum conditions of the esterification reactions were determined as: alcohol amount, acid amount, temperature, reaction time and mixing rate parameters in single stage reactions (for 100 g) in sunflower volatile distillation (40 g, 2 g, 55 °C, 240 min, 750 rpm), cornflower volatile distillation (40 g, 2 g, 65 °C, 240 min, 1000 rpm) and olive oil volatile distillation (30 g, 3 g, 65 °C, 180 min, 750 rpm). The optimum conditions of three-stage esterification reactions with parameters determined by considering the effect value, the amount of alcohol, the amount of acid, and the duration of reaction parameters (for 100 g) in the sunflower volatile distillation (20-10-10 g, 0,6-1-0,4 g, 48-72-120 min), in cornflower volatile distillation (20-10-10 g, 0,6-1-0,4 g, 48-72-120 min), olive oil in volatile distillation (15-7,5-7,5 g, 1,5-0,75-0,75 g, 54-90-36 min) as determined. In determining optimum conditions, Taguchi's "highest-best" performance statistics were applied and L16 and L9 orthogonal sequences were selected. Keywords: Volatile fatty acid, Esterification, Taguchi metod, Vegeteble oil