Investigating production parameters and impacts of potential emissions from soybean biodiesel stored under different conditions

Abstract

Biodiesel production parameters and the impact analysis of the potential emissions from both soybean biodiesel and washing water stored in three different environmental conditions were investigated. The effects of the reaction temperature, methanol/oil mole ratio and catalyst concentration on biodiesel yield were considered. And the results showed optimum biodiesel yield of 99% obtained at 54°C, 7 methanol/oil mole ratio and 0.4 wt/wt % catalyst concentration. The potential emissions from both the biodiesel produced and washing water stored (for six weeks) in refrigerator (≤ 10°C), vacuum (50 kPa) and direct exposure to atmosphere were identified and quantified. Impact analysis of the emissions involved their categorization into: terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, human toxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, climate change and freshwater ecotoxicity. Freshwater ecotoxicity category had the most pronounced negative impact of the potential emissions with 5.237710-2 kg 1,4-DB eq. emissions in Atmosphere, 4.702610-2 kg 1,4-DB eq. emissions in Refrigerator and 3.966110-2 kg 1,4-DB eq. emissions in Vacuum. Climate change had the least effect of the emissions with 6.21410-6 kg CO2 eq. in Atmosphere, 3.9310-6 kg CO2 eq. in Refrigerator and 1.6710-6 kg CO2 eq. in Vacuum. The study showed that the order of preference of the storage environments of biodiesel is vacuum environment, refrigerated condition and exposure to atmosphere.