Life cycle assessment and biodegradability of biodiesel produced using different alcohols and heterogeneous catalysts

Abstract

ABSTRACT The synthesis of fatty acid methyl (RME) and fatty acid butyl esters (RME) using heterogeneous catalysts (dolomite, eggshells, snail shells) is attractive as more and more legislations about global warming and energy security encourage to pay attention to renewable energy sources. In this study, the impact of six different RME and RBE production scenarios on the environment was investigated, also biodegradability research of RMEs and RBEs and mineral diesel were conducted. To assess life cycle, SimaPro9 software was used and impact to 11 environmental categories were evaluated. The environmental performance was determined based on their midpoint impacts, CML-IA baseline V3.06/EU25 method. Results of LCA showed that the production of RBE using eggshells and snail shells as heterogeneous catalysts had the most adverse impact on the global warming potential (2298.0 and 2266.1 kgCO2eq t−1 respectively). While the lowest impact to global warming potential was obtained for RME production using dolomite as a catalyst (1436.8 kgCO2eqt−1). The production of RME using dolomite had the lowest impact on almost all categories, while the synthesis of RBE using eggshells had the highest impact on the environment. However, conditions under which biodiesel is produced have a huge impact on life cycle assessment results. RMEs showed higher biodegradability compared with RBEs. HIGHLIGHTS LCA on six different biodiesel production scenarios was investigated. FAME production using dolomite has the lowest impact on the environment. Conditions under which biodiesel is produced have a huge impact on LCA results. Biodegradability of RMEs and RBEs was investigated. Biodegradability depends on the type of alcohol, not on the catalyst which was used.