摘要：The residue curve maps are considered as a powerful tool for the preliminary design of reactive distillation. The residue curve maps of ethyl acetate synthesis reaction were calculated based on the pseudo-homogeneous rate-based kinetic model and the NRTL activity coefficient model. The results show that the unstable node branch emerges from the ethyl acetate/water edge, moving toward the chemical equilibrium surface with the increase of Damkoeler value （D）, and the node reaches the ternary reactive azeotrope when D-∞ eventually. Conceptual design for the ethyl acetate synthesis of reactive distillation based on the residue curve maps is presented at last.

摘要：The main propose of this research was to develop a two-step biodiesel production technique from animal fat as a raw material. The developed process consists ofesterification and transesterification steps. With special attention to optimize the first step is acid catalyzed esterification to reduce free fatty acid content and the second step is alkali catalyzed transesterification for converting triglyceride to fatty acid methyl ester or biodiesel. Animal fat containing 78.80 mg KOH/g of high acid value and molecular weight of 851 g/mol with the highest oleic acid content was used as raw material. Respond surface methodology （RSM） was applied for the experiment design. This were 20 experiments involving the three investigated variables of methanol to animal fat ratio, amount of sulfuric acid catalyst and reaction time that were studied on esterification to optimize the condition for decreasing acid value in animal fat less than 2 mg KOH/g. The animal fat with low acid value was further experimented in transesterification step to obtain fatty acid methyl ester or biodiesel. Animal fat biodiesel is further investigated by determining its fuel properties according to the ASTM standard test method.