Abstract
A low-cost, mostly 3D-printed flow system was designed, manufactured, and evaluated for performing base-catalyzed transesterification of triacylglycerols, in order to determine the fatty acid content of edible oils. The proposed methodology in conjunction with traditional chromatographic analysis, provides a semi-automated sample preparation procedure which requires minimal manual intervention. Specifically, the preparation of reagent mixtures and the transfer of products to gas chromatographic (GC) vials for analysis was carried out manually. Due to enhanced reactivity in flow, lower base-catalyst concentrations (1-1.5 wt.%) were required compared to traditional batch reactions (5 wt.%). The flow system consists primarily of syringe pumps, connectors (i.e., flangeless fittings), and reactors, that were self-manufactured using 3D-printing technology, specifically, fused deposition modelling (FDM). Print settings were fine-tuned to obtain high-quality leak-tight flangeless fittings in polypropylene (PP). The mostly 3D-printed flow system was successfully used to determine the fatty acid content of certified and commercial sunflower oil. Furthermore, additional commercial edible oils (avocado oil, canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, and a blend of canola and olive oil) were analyzed. The obtained results, expressed as a percentage of total fatty acid methyl ester content, were comparable to certified and literature values.
M.Sc. (Chemistry)