Key words: rape-seed oil, bio-diesel fuel, supercritical methanol, methyl esters, fatty acid, re-esterification, supercritical carbon dioxide, solubility, Peng-Robinson equation
The solubility of bio-diesel fuel components (methyl esters of stearic and palmetic acid) in supercritical carbon dioxide is studied. The results are described in the framework of Peng-Robinson theoretical approach. The possibility of efficient separation of the target compounds (methyl esters of fatty acids, glycerol) from re-esterification reaction mixture and their purification using SC-CO2 are demonstrated.