Abstract
At present, biodiesel is known as an alternative fuel globally. It is also known that the purification of biodiesel before consumption is mandatory to comply with international standards. Commonly, purification using water washing generates a massive amount of wastewater with a high content of organic compounds that can harm the environment. Therefore, this study applied and tested a waterless method, i.e., the solvent-aided crystallization (SAC), to remove glycerol and other traces of impurities in the crude biodiesel. The parameters of coolant temperature, crystallization time, and stirring rate on the SAC system were investigated. It was discovered that with 14 °C coolant temperature, 300 RPM and higher cooling time result in the highest percentage of FAME up to 99.54%, which indicates that contaminants' presence is limited in the purified biodiesel. The use of 1-butanol as the solvent for crystallization process remarkably enhanced the separation and improved the higher biodiesel quality.
Highlights
The rise in the economy concerning transportation as well as environmental awareness leads to the use of petroleum-derived fossil fuels
Animal fats, and waste cooking oil can be used as feedstock in producing biodiesel such as soybean oil (55%), canola oil (10%), corn oil (12%), recycled used cooking oils, and yellow greases (13%) in the United States in 2016 (Ambat et al 2018)
The solvent-aided crystallization (SAC) system has proven to remove contaminants from crude biodiesel, which is applicable as a waterless method for biodiesel purification
Summary
The rise in the economy concerning transportation as well as environmental awareness leads to the use of petroleum-derived fossil fuels. The term biodiesel is referred to as renewable and biodegradable fuel that functions as an alternative in traditional engines (Tyson and McCormick 2006). Animal fats, and waste cooking oil can be used as feedstock in producing biodiesel such as soybean oil (55%), canola oil (10%), corn oil (12%), recycled used cooking oils, and yellow greases (13%) in the United States in 2016 (Ambat et al 2018). Oils from rapeseed, sunflower, palm kernel, and animal fats such as beef tallow and pork lard are considered significant sources to produce biodiesel. The procedure still induces glycerol as a by-product. Glycerol and other by-products are removed from the reaction mixture by a simple gravitational settling process, and the FAME phase washed to remove impurities.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
