Pre-treatment System

If the feedstock contains FFA in excess of 1%, it is recommended that it be pre-treated. SRS has designed a system utilizing MeOH, Acid, and a modified waste additive that will convert the FFA to usable oils. It also removes the water content to prevent the development of dreaded soap within the biodiesel production system. Formulas and the process are determined by the percent of FFA in the feedstock.

In the pre-treatment / Esterification process:

• Methanol and acid are mixed and injected into oil stream
• Mixture is heated and reacted under pressure and temperature
• After esterification, the modified waste additive is added and mixed with oil-methanol stream while cooling
• Light layer and heavy layers are separated with a special designed separator
• The light layers will contain the FFA and are treated to convert to usable oils
• The methanol is recycled
• The usable oils are centrifuged and ready for transesterification.

The main pretreatment advantages are:

• No product loss
• Water removal
• Low energy
• Pretreated FFA becomes salable product
• No soaps to clean out
• Huge savings in post treatment
• Savings in magnasol
• Savings in ion-exchange treatment

Pretreatment today is absolutely necessary for all plants that wish to incorporate animal fats and various oil other the RBD soy’s. All these oils cone with 2-15% FFA and will consume large amounts of Methylate and methanol and in return will produce water and soaps that will contaminate piping and vessels on future batches.

The proprietary SRS Pretreatment unit is less expensive than other units that are designed to remove the FFA, this costs you lost volume and of course money, instead we render the FFA to saleable oils which increases your yield and profit.

Pretreatment and esterification is now as important as transesterification and without it BioDeisel plants will operate with no or limited profits.

As the market searches for new oils due to increasing demand it will be necessary to have variable feedstock’s, unfortunately many come with baggage that results in modified treatments, many of which are cost prohibitive.

The SRS pretreatment unit represents a complete package, capable of handling all your needs at a competitive price.

This pretreatment unit is designed to operate with minimal operator input with a monitoring system with checks and balances to keep you product consistent and repeatable.