Kinetic Modeling of Shea Butter Transesterification Catalyzed by Barium Chloride Doped Clay Catalyst

Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions impacts of the adoption of the EU Directive on biofuels in Spain. Effect of the import of raw materials and land use changes

Maximizing the potential of commercial zinc stearate for one-pot esterification and transesterification for high-acidity biodiesel production

To assess the potential of using the secondary treated wastewater for the production of algal biofuel, batch experiments were carried out in photobioreactors using indigenous Chlorella vulgaris isolated from the natural freshwater body. Secondary treated wastewater with partial nitrification was simulated using various proportions of NO3-N and NH4-N while keeping the total nitrogen the same. Experiments with similar concentrations of nitrate without the NH4-N were used for comparison. In the presence of only NO3-N in the concentration range of 9–37 mg/L, the growth and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) production was similar to the literature reports. When NH4-N was present along with NO3-N, the biomass growth was adversely affected, indicating an impact on the metabolic activity. For the same initial concentrations of nitrate in the culture, the maximum biomass concentration was reduced by 50–60% in the presence of NH4-N. The FAME profile changed significantly and a new FAME was identified, suggesting an impact on the lipid synthesis pathway. Comparison and analysis with the help of existing literature indicated that the adverse effect due to NH4-N was a function of pH. The growth, biomass yield, and FAME production were unaffected by a wide range of phosphorus concentrations. Maximum fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) suitable for biodiesel production (fatty acid carbon chain length C16 to C18) was 381.01 mg/L (224.58 mg/g of dry biomass), produced at NO3-N concentration of 18.5 mg/L and initial nitrogen loading per unit biomass of 0.37 g NO3-N/g of dry biomass.

Waste cooking oil (WCO) is considered the most promising biodiesel feedstock despite its drawback of high free fatty acid (FFA). In this study, microwave-assisted transesterification of WCO is carried out in the presence of potassium hydroxide supported on carbonized coconut shell (KOH/CS) catalyst. The effect of reaction temperature on the yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) is studied. Conventional transesterification is also performed for comparison. The results show that reaction temperature of 80 °C is optimum for FAME production. The properties of the produced biodiesel satisfy the criteria according to ASTM D6751. Acid-catalysed esterification of WCO before transesterification leads to higher production of FAME due to reduction of FFA. At 80 °C, reaction time of 40 min, alcohol to oil ratio of 12:1 and 5 wt.% catalyst, a FAME production of 91.3% is achieved. At 65 °C, reaction time of 90 min, alcohol to oil ratio of 12:1 and 5 wt.% catalyst, conventional transesterification results in slightly higher FAME production (92.1%). However, conventional transesterification using WCO without esterification as feedstock yields lower FAME. Pretreatment of feedstock with esterification is found to be more beneficial and applicable in the case of biodiesel production through conventional transesterification, allowing production of FAME with higher yields. This furthermore indicates that although microwave heating decreases the reaction time, it does not necessarily lead to increased FAME. The production of FAME depends on not only the type of transesterification process but also the type of feedstock used. Overall, the proposed methodology allows the use of high FFA content feedstock. However, this will need careful selection of feedstock as well as additional treatment prior to transesterification process; otherwise the yield may be reduced.

Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) or biodiesel is a biofuel conventionally produced from edible oil and methanol, using an alkaline catalyst, through a transesterification reaction. As FAME is mostly produced from edible vegetable oils, crop soils are used for its production, increasing deforestation and producing a fuel more expensive than diesel. In addition, between 70 and 80% of the total FAME production costs correspond to the vegetable oils. Therefore, the use of waste lipids such as waste frying oils (WFO), waste fats and soapstock has been proposed as low-cost alternative to feedstock. Non-edible oils such as jatropha, pongamia and rubber seed oil are also economically attractive. In addition, microalgae, bacteria, yeast and fungi with 20% or higher lipid content are oleaginous microorganisms known as single cell oil and have been proposed as feedstock for FAME production. Alternative feedstocks are characterized by their elevated acid value due to the high level of free fatty acid (FFA) content, causing undesirable saponification reactions when an alkaline catalyst is used in the transesterification reaction. The production of soap consumes the conventional catalyst, diminishing FAME production yield and simultaneously preventing the effective separation of the produced FAME from the glycerin phase. These problems could be solved using biological catalysts, such as lipases or whole cell catalysts, avoiding soap production since the FFAs are esterified to FAME. In addition, by-product glycerol can be easily recovered and the purification of FAME is simplified using biological catalysts.

In-situ transesterification of Jatropha curcas L. seeds using homogeneous and heterogeneous basic catalysts

Efficient production of fatty acid methyl ester from waste activated bleaching earth using diesel oil as organic solvent

BACKGROUNDUltrasonication has been proposed as a promising technique for enzymatic transesterification. In contrast, excess ultrasonication causes enzyme inactivation. This paper describes enzymatic transesterification to produce fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) from rapeseed oil using Callera Trans L™ and an original two‐compartment reactor. The reactor was composed of a mechanically stirred compartment (ST) and an ultrasound irradiation compartment (US). The reaction solution was recirculated between the ST and the US. The enzyme was exposed to ultrasonication only in the US. The reactor system has the option to control the direct irradiation period of ultrasonication to soluble enzyme, regulated by the mean residence time in the US.RESULTSThe production of FAME with ultrasound irradiation gave a final yield of 91 wt% after 15 h. The reaction rate was enhanced up to 2‐fold through the use of the two‐compartment reactor compared with liquid lipase catalyzed transesterification without any ultrasound treatment. The Vmax with ultrasound irradiation was 2.3‐fold higher than that of the ultrasound‐free system, while the Km remained at almost the same level. The reaction rate and the conversion increased with shorter mean residence time in the US.CONCLUSIONThe advantages of the two‐compartment reactor were shown to produce biodiesel (FAME) resulting in acceleration of the enzyme reaction by ultrasound irradiation. Reaction enhancement was maximized by using a separate compartment of the reactor. A shorter mean residence time of reaction solution in the US and higher ultrasound power successfully realized a higher production rate of FAME. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

Batch and continuous γ-alumina-catalyzed FAME production from soybean oil deodorizer distillate by interesterification

Effect of ferric ion on nitrogen consumption, biomass and oil accumulation of a Scenedesmus rubescens-like microalga

The feasibility of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) as a co-solvent used to increase the mass transfer between oil and methanol was investigated. FAME, as the co-solvent, does not require additional separation after the reaction because it is the end product of the reaction. To examine intermediate phenomena during the transesterification of soybean oil, the agitation speed was controlled at a slow rate. When the molar ratio of oil to methanol was 1:6 at 0.8 wt.% of KOH to oil, oil was at the bottom layer, and methanol and the catalyst were at the top layer. Under the slow agitation process, the contact surface became initially darkened with the production of FAME and glycerol. After a few minutes, the entire top layer became dark. The top layer, containing methanol, KOH, FAME, and glycerol, fell to the bottom layer and then formed the one-phase system. When 0, 5, and 10 wt.% of FAME to oil was initially introduced to the reaction mixture, the FAME content rapidly increased with the FAME concentration level. After forming the one-phase system, the rate of increase of the FAME content was very slow. The time required for the formation of the one-phase system decreased with the amount of FAME and KOH and with temperature.

Non-catalytic transesterification is one of the method that was used to produce the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) by blowing superheated methanol bubbles continuously into the vegetable oil without using any catalyst. This research aimed to simulate the production of FAME from palm oil in a bubble column reactor. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulation was used to predict the distribution of fatty acid methyl ester and other product in the reactor. The fluid flow and component of concentration along the reaction time was investigated and the effects of reaction temperature (523 K and 563 K) on the non-catalytic transesterification process has been examined. The study was carried out using ANSYS CFX 17.1. The finding from the study shows that increasing the temperature leads to higher amount of fatty acid methyl ester can be produced in shorter time. On the other hand, concentration of the component such as triglyceride (TG), glycerol (GL) and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) can be known when reaching the optimum condition.

Innovative approaches for effective selection of lipase-producing microorganisms as whole cell catalysts for biodiesel production

Lanthanum oxide behavior in La2O3-Al2O3 and La2O3-ZrO2 catalysts with application in FAME production

Euglena gracilis is a photosynthetic Euglenophyte capable of carbon dioxide fixation and lipid synthesis, offering a sustainable approach to renewable energy production. This study investigates the effects of mono- and multi-light spectra on the growth and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) production of E. gracilis. The cultures were subjected to various light spectra, including red, blue, purple, red-blue, and white (control), to analyze their impact on growth rates, lipid accumulation, and FAME profiles. Growth metrics, including cell density, biomass, specific growth rate, and doubling time, were recorded, and FAME analysis was performed using GC-FID. Results indicated that purple light significantly enhanced growth, achieving the highest saturated fatty acid (SFA) content (31.7%), while red-blue light yielded the highest lipid concentration (0.680 ± 0.028 g L⁻¹). In contrast, blue light promoted the production of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), with a composition of 74.62%. This study contributes to expanding the FAME profile database and highlights the potential of E. gracilis in Indonesia as a biodiesel source, particularly in the context of ecological modifications such as light spectrum optimization. The findings underline the organism's viability as a sustainable biofuel source, supporting efforts toward renewable energy development.