CHAPTER 7: Green Fuels and Fuel Additives Production in Simulated Moving Bed Reactors

By simultaneously integrating separation and reaction in a single device, the Simulated Moving Bed Reactor (SMBR) is a paradigmatic representation of the so-called multifunctional reactors, which are one of the most relevant Process Intensification strategies. In this chapter, the complex operating mode of this technology will be addressed in detail, explaining the contribution of all the phenomena occurring throughout the unit. This knowledge will set the basis for the development of effective design methodologies and mathematical models for the optimization and description of the SMBR dynamic behavior of the process. The increasing interest in reactive-separation technologies in bioprocessing has led to the implementation of SMBR processes to produce biodiesel, additives and blending agents such as 1,1-diethoxyethane, 1,1-diethoxybutane and glycerol ethyl acetal. The use of bio-derived reactants, such as ethanol to produce 1,1-diethoxyethane and 1,1-diethoxybutane, and the valorization of glycerol, obtained as a by-product from biodiesel manufacture, through the production of glycerol ethyl acetal, also represents a good approach in terms of the development of more efficient, environmentally-friendly and sustainable processes.