Resumen Este trabajo investiga la influencia de la destilación fraccionada en el rendimiento y la calidad de los biocombustibles obtenidos en una unidad de laboratorio (columna Vigreux) a presión atmosférica, produciendo tres fracciones destiladas: (1) gasolina verde, (2) queroseno verde de aviación y (3) diesel verde. La calidad de las fracciones destiladas se evaluó mediante análisis físico-químico, espectroscopia FTIR y análisis GC-MS. La destilación fraccionada del biocombustible crudo proporcionó biocombustibles en forma de fracciones destiladas con la mayoría de valores de propiedades físico-químicas dentro de los límites establecidos por las agencias reguladoras nacionales e internacionales y con curvas de destilación experimentales similares a las curvas de destilación estándar. El análisis GC-MS mostró que las tres fracciones destiladas tenían mayores contenidos de hidrocarburos que los compuestos oxigenados y contenían hidrocarburos característicos de derivados del petróleo como gasolina, queroseno de aviación y diesel.

Abstract This paper investigates the influence of the fractional distillation on the yield and quality of biofuels obtained in a laboratory unit (Vigreux column) at atmospheric pressure, producing three distilled fractions: (1) green gasoline, (2) green aviation kerosene, and (3) green diesel. The quality of the distilled fractions was evaluated through physical-chemical analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and GC-MS analysis. The fractional distillation of the crude biofuel provided biofuels in the form of distilled fractions with most values of physical-chemical properties within the limits established by national and international regulatory agencies and with experimental distillation curves similar to standard distillation curves. GC-MS analysis showed that the three distilled fractions had higher contents of hydrocarbons than oxygenated compounds and contained hydrocarbons characteristic of petroleum derivatives such as gasoline, aviation kerosene, and diesel.

In this work the separation of multicomponent mixtures in counter-current columns with supercritical carbon dioxide has been investigated using a process design methodology. First the separation task must be defined, then phase equilibria experiments are carried out, and the data obtained are correlated with thermodynamic models or empirical functions. Mutual solubilities, Ki-values, and separation factors <FONT FACE="Symbol">a</font>ij are determined. Based on this data possible operating conditions for further extraction experiments can be determined. Separation analysis using graphical methods are performed to optimize the process parameters. Hydrodynamic experiments are carried out to determine the flow capacity diagram. Extraction experiments in laboratory scale are planned and carried out in order to determine HETP values, to validate the simulation results, and to provide new materials for additional phase equilibria experiments, needed to determine the dependence of separation factors on concetration. Numerical simulation of the separation process and auxiliary systems is carried out to optimize the number of stages, solvent-to-feed ratio, product purity, yield, and energy consumption. Scale-up and cost analysis close the process design. The separation of palmitic acid and (oleic+linoleic) acids from PFAD-Palm Fatty Acids Distillates was used as a case study.