Low-cost Biodiesel Research Articles

A CIRCULAR ECONOMY APPROACH TO PRODUCE LOW-COST BIODIESEL USING AGRO-INDUSTRIAL AND PACKING WASTES FROM MEXICO: VALORIZATION, HOMOGENEOUS AND HETEROGENEOUS REACTION ROUTES AND PRODUCT CHARACTERIZATION

This manuscript describes a circular economy approach to produce low-cost biodiesel using Tetra Pak (TP) and Mexican biomass wastes. Lipids were extracted from non-edible biomass with hexane. Corozo seeds contained 53 wt% lipids, while remaining biomass had <5 wt%. Corozo seed oil was selected to produce biodiesel with both homogeneous and heterogeneous reaction systems. A heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized from TP and its performance was compared with KOH in homogeneous systems using corozo and soybean oils. The best reaction conditions were identified through the Signal/Noise ratio analysis. TP catalyst achieved biodiesel yields of 12.7-98.11% (corozo) and 87.0-98.4% (soybean), while KOH systems showed 7.2-96.3% and 64.6-98.5%, respectively. These reactive systems were endothermic and fit to pseudo-second order kinetic model. Activation energies for KOH-catalyzed systems were 86.89 (corozo) and 43.72 (soybean) kJ/mol, while TP-catalyzed systems showed 78.31 and 105.68 kJ/mol, respectively. TP catalyst reuse was tested, and the loss of catalytic activity was attributed to active sites poisoning. Biomass, catalysts, and reaction products were characterized (e.g., FTIR, ICP, XRD, EDX-SEM, WDXRF, XPS, basicity and nitrogen adsorption isotherms). The TP catalyst showed competitive performance with respect to KOH, contributing to a sustainable biodiesel production chain viable for commercial implementation in Mexico.

An economic, and environmentally benign Psidium guajava L. leaves catalyst for biodiesel production at room temperature: Process optimization, and life cycle cost analysis

Biodiesel has emerged as a popular alternative to conventional fossil fuel in transportation sector and thus producing low-cost biodiesel is a topic of interest for a large community of researchers. This study reports the preparation of an efficient and robust heterogeneous catalyst from dried Psidium guajava L. (Guava) leaves and its application towards generation of biodiesel from soybean oil at room temperature. The biomass material was calcinated at variable temperature and the efficiency of each of the catalyst prepared was studied. The catalyst generated as well as the product biodiesel was thoroughly characterized using sophisticated analytical techniques. The catalyst was found to have mesoporous structure with active basic sites which contributed towards accelerating the transesterification process. Detailed characterization unveiled the occurrence of Ca as oxide and carbonate, in addition to a certain quantity of K in oxide and carbonate form, which contribute to the catalyst’s activity. Maximum biodiesel yield of 95.8 % was observed for reaction performed under optimum experimental conditions i.e., 1:17 oil-to-methanol ratio, 6 wt% loading of GL-850 (catalyst prepared by calcination at 850°C), and 15 % n-Hexane loading for 3 h at room temperature. GL-850 demonstrated exceptional recyclability for up to the fifth cycle exhibiting a mere 3.7 % decline in yield. The calculated expense for 1 kg catalyst was found to be $0.478, whereas the production cost of 1 kg biodiesel was found to be merely $1.120, indicating a strong economic feasibility of the process.

Molybdenum (VI) complex of resorcinol‐based ligand immobilized on silica‐coated magnetic nanoparticles for biodiesel production

Reusability and durability of catalysts are main factors in biodiesel production. Fe3O4@SiO2‐APTES‐MoO2L2DHAPh catalyst was prepared in five steps. At first, Fe3O4 was synthesized and coated with silica (Fe3O4@SiO2). After that, the nanoparticles were functionalized by APTES (Fe3O4@SiO2‐APTES). In following, DHAPh ligand was anchored covalently onto the surface of aminated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2‐APTES‐LDHAPh), and at the end, DHAPh ligand was metalled by MoO2(acac)2 salt (Fe3O4@SiO2‐APTES‐MoO2L2DHAPh). The catalyst was characterized with analytical techniques such as FT‐IR, SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, VSM, ICP, EDX, NH3‐TPD, and TGA. This novel catalyst with acidic and basic sites was used in (trans)esterification reaction for biodiesel production of rapeseed and other oils. The biodiesel yield of rapeseed, soybean, sunflower, and used frying oils was attained 97%, 98%, 96%, and 87%, respectively, under optimized reaction conditions, such as 0.1 mol% amount of catalyst, 0.05 mmol KOH as methanol activator, a short reaction time of 2 h, and methanol to oil ratio of 3:1 at room temperature. The conversion of oil to methyl ester biodiesel was confirmed by FT‐IR, 1H NMR, and GC‐MS analysis. The leaching and reusability tests of the prepared catalyst were checked, which displayed the biodiesel production proceeded via a heterogeneous pathway. Also, this catalyst can be reused for 11 cycles without tangible loss in its catalytic activity. The mentioned heterogeneously homogenized nanocatalyst has the main benefits such as easy reusability, high activity, and selectivity with acidic and basic sites that makes it a potential candidate for both esterification and (trans)esterification of low quality feedstock for low cost biodiesel production.

Evaluating the Potential of Algal Pyrolysis Bio-Oil as a Low-Cost Biodiesel for use in Standby Generators for home Power Generation

Evaluating the Potential of Algal Pyrolysis Bio-Oil as a Low-Cost Biodiesel for use in Standby Generators for home Power Generation

Biodiesel production by transesterification of waste cooking oil in the presence of graphitic carbon nitride supported molybdenum catalyst

Development of the active metal species with high utilization and accessibility of oil macromoleculars is one of the critical factors affecting heterogeneous metal-based catalysts for production of biodiesel. Here, we synthesized two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride supported molybdenum (xMo/g-C3N4) catalysts for the facile transesterification of waste cooking soybean oil. Various characterization results of these catalysts show the crystal structure of g-C3N4 is not destroyed, however, Mo oxides phase, containing Mo6+ and Mo5+ state, is detected on the surface of the Mo/g-C3N4 with much Mo-loading, and the ratio of Mo6+/Mo5+ increases significantly with the increasing Mo loading. As expected, compared with the neat g-C3N4 catalyst, the g-C3N4 supported Mo catalyst exhibits a better catalytic performance; especially the 10%Mo/g-C3N4 catalyst has the optimal waste cooking soybean oil conversion of 71.1% and biodiesel selectivity of 99.5%. Furthermore, the experimental parameters and catalytic reusability for the transesterification reaction over 10%Mo/g-C3N4 catalyst are investigated. Moreover, the possible deactivation mechanism and regeneration method of as-prepared catalyst are also proposed. This work provides a valuable tactics for the production of clean and low-cost biodiesel from waste cooking soybean oil in the presence of efficient solid catalyst.

Synthesis of Ca–Fe-based heterogeneous catalyst from waste shells and their application for transesterification of Jatropha oil

The depletion of fossil fuel reserves with increased fuel demand and global emissions has increased the search for eco-friendly renewable fuels with a low environmental impact. Biodiesel can be considered as mono-alkyl esters of long-chain fatty acids obtained from the transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fats. Economically low-cost biodiesel production has received considerable interest for blending with fossil-based diesel for a more sustainable future. Therefore, the current study focuses on synthesizing an efficient, low-cost heterogeneous CaO catalyst from waste egg and seashell using a solid-state method and applying it to the transesterification of Jatropha oil. The Ca2Fe2O5 solid catalyst was prepared by doping calcined CaO with iron in a 2:1 ratio using ferric oxide (Fe2O3). Furthermore, the catalyst was extruded and analytically characterized using XRD, FT IR, BET, and its basic strength was quantified by Hammett indicators. Later on, transesterification of Jatropha oil was optimized by varying reaction parameters, such as the molar ratio of methanol to Jatropha oil, reaction time, and catalyst loading. The maximum conversion yield was 96.3% at a 20:1 methanol-to-oil ratio and 80 bar N2 pressure using 5% (w/w) catalyst loading. Furthermore, the catalytic recycling study demonstrated that the Ca2Fe2O5 catalyst could retain > 70–80% of transesterification efficiency and stability up to 4 cycles under high acid value and moisture conditions.Graphical abstract

Fast, High Quality and Low-Cost Biodiesel Production using Dolomite Catalyst in an Enhanced Microwave System with Simultaneous Cooling

In this study, biodiesel production with canola oil and methanol in the presence of dolomite catalyst was examined in a multimode Enhanced Microwave System (EMS) with simultaneous cooling worked under constant, continuous microwave (MW) power and isothermal conditions. The experiments were carried out in the EMS utilizing the "one variable at a time" method to estimate optimum values of five experiment parameters named methanol-to-oil molar ratio (nm/no), amount of catalyst (% wt of oil), temperature (T,°C), reaction time (t, min) and absorbed MW power (Pa,W). The optimum values of these parameters were obtained as 9, 5%, 65°C, 120 min., 48 W, respectively. At the end of the study in EMS, an experiment was repeated in the Conventional Heating System (CHS) at the optimum conditions. Accordingly, it was found that the yield of biodiesel in EMS (99.1%) during the same period was 30.2% higher than in CHS (76%). Faster, higher-quality, and lower-cost biodiesel production was accomplished when compared to the CHS. Energy and production cost saving were accomplished by 58.2 % and production rate was increased by 30.4% in EMS. Furthermore, selective and homogenous heating effect on catalyst's local surface temperature and strong vibrational effect of MW on dipoles provided advantages in terms of catalyst activity and different methyl ester content. This showed that biodiesel with different properties can be produced using same oil in the EMS.

Biodiesel Production From Oleic Acid Using Biomass-Derived Sulfonated Orange Peel Catalyst

Biodiesel, as an alternative fuel for petroleum-based fuel, has recently acquired significant attention. The current study focused on using biowaste to produce catalysts for low-cost biodiesel manufacturing. Orange peels (OP) were used to make carbon-based solid acid catalysts with sulfonic acid group (–SO3H) density of 1.96 mmol g−1via a “one-pot” carbonization-sulfonation treatment. Under the optimized reaction conditions (15:1 MeOH to oleic acid molar ratio, 7 wt.% catalyst loading w.r.t oleic acid, 80°C reaction temperature, 60 min reaction time), 96.51 ± 0.4% conversion of oleic acid to methyl oleate (a biodiesel component) was obtained. The catalyst displayed high recyclability and stability on repeated reuse, with a negligible decrease in biodiesel conversion up to 5 catalytic cycles.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria increased canola yield and root system

Decreasing the use of synthetic chemicals including nitrogen fertilizers is a top priority worldwide for the establishment of sustainable agriculture and high productivity. Using plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can help in this regard. Identification of PGPRs associate with canola can be of great importance to produce sustainable and low-cost biodiesel also in less favored areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth, and grain yield of canola grown with five different PGPRs. The treatments Azospirillum brasiliense, Methylobacterium komagatae, Rhizobium sp., Azomonas sp., mixture of microorganisms from 1 to 4, and control (no inoculation), in the canola (Brassica napus L) were evaluated. The experiment was performed in a clay soil with six replicates. Plants height and diameter were evaluated at 15, 50, 80, and 110 days after the sowing. At the end of the cycle, root area and grain yield were also calculated. The PGPRs significantly affect root development, shoot dry weight, and grain yield of canola. M. komagacae increased rooting area in 44%. M. komagacae and A. brasiliense resulted in 56 e 53% more grain yield compared to un-inoculated canola, respectively, indicating that PGPRs holds high potential to promote canola productivity.

Biodiesel production by valorizing waste non-edible wild olive oil using heterogeneous base catalyst: Process optimization and cost estimation

The current research investigates sustainable biodiesel production from non-edible wild olive oil via novel Na/SiO2/TiO2 heterogeneous catalyst. The catalyst was synthesized by Sol-Gel and wet impregnation method. Furthermore, the designed catalyst was evaluated by various spectroscopic techniques like SEM, EDX, XPS, FTIR, BET and XRD. The impact of various influencing parameters such as catalyst loading, reaction temperature, oil/methanol molar ratio and reaction time were scrutinized and the maximum 97% yield was achieved at the reaction conditions of 1:20 WOSO/MeOH molar ratio, 9 wt% catalyst loading at 70 °C and 120 min of reaction time. The synthesized biodiesel was confirmed from GC–MS analysis, whereas the various physiochemical properties of synthesized biodiesel were explored by ASTMD 5761 and EN 1404 methods. The plausible reaction mechanism of Na/SiO2/TiO2 catalyzed WOSO was also proposed. Finally, the cost estimation of the designed catalyst investigates its commercial viability for low cost biodiesel production using non-edible WOSO feedstock.

Current Progress of Jatropha Curcas Commoditisation as Biodiesel Feedstock: A Comprehensive Review

This article looks at the national and global actors, social networks, and narratives that have influencedJatropha’sworldwide acceptability as a biofuel crop.Jatropha Curcasis a genus of around 175 succulent shrubs and trees in theEuphorbiaceaefamily (some of which are deciduous, such asJatropha CurcasL.). It’s a drought-tolerant perennial that thrives in poor or marginal soil and produces a large amount of oil per hectare. It is easy to grow, has a fast growth rate, and can generate seeds for up to 50 years.Jatropha Curcashas been developed as a unique and promising tropical plant for augmenting renewable energy sources due to its various benefits. It is deserving of being recognised as the only competitor in terms of concrete and intangible environmental advantages.Jatropha Curcasis a low-cost biodiesel feedstock with good fuel properties and more oil than other species. It is a non-edible oilseed feedstock. Thus it will have no impact on food prices or the food vs fuel debate.Jatropha Curcasemits fewer pollutants than diesel and may be used in diesel engines with equivalent performance.Jatropha Curcasalso makes a substantial contribution to the betterment of rural life. The plant may also provide up to 40% oil yield per seed based on weight. This study looks at the features characteristics ofJatropha Curcasas biodiesel feedstock and performance, and emissions of internal combustion engine that operates on this biodiesel fuel.

Low-cost alternative biodiesel production apparatus based on household food blender for continuous biodiesel production for small communities

Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) are sustainable biofuel that can alleviate high oil costs and environmental impacts of petroleum-based fuel. A modified 1200 W high-efficiency food blender was employed for continuous transesterification of various refined vegetable oils and waste cooking oil (WCO) using sodium hydroxide as a homogeneous catalyst. The following factors have been investigated on their effects on FAME yield: baffles, reaction volume, total reactant flow rate, methanol-oil molar ratio, catalyst concentration and reaction temperature. Results indicated that the optimal conditions were: 2000 mL reaction volume, 50 mL/min total flow rate, 1% and 1.25% catalyst concentration for refined palm oil and WCO, respectively, 6:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio and 62–63 °C, obtaining yield efficiency over 96.5% FAME yield of 21.14 × 10–4 g/J (for palm oil) and 19.39 × 10–4 g/J (for WCO). All the properties of produced FAMEs meet the EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 standards. The modified household food blender could be a practical and low-cost alternative biodiesel production apparatus for continuous biodiesel production for small communities in remote areas.

Comparison of RSM and ANN Optimization Techniques and Modeling of Ultrasonic Energy Assisted Trans-esterification of Salviniaceae Filiculoides Oil Blended to Biodiesel

For the transesterification of biodiesel from Azolla oil, the safe and successful use of feed stocks is a very significant prerequisite. It is of high importance to determine the optimal reaction parameters to maximize the yield of low-cost biodiesel generated from Azolla oil. Ultrasonic energy was used in this work for the development of biodiesel from Azolla oil catalyzed by the KOH catalyst under different conditions. The effect on the transesterification of Azolla Oil to biodiesel of four reaction parameters, namely the methanol/Azolla oil molar ratio (A), KOH catalyst concentration (B), reaction time (C) and reaction temperature (D) were considered. In order to optimize the effects of reaction parameters for the transesterification of Azolla oil to biodiesel, response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite rotatable design (CCRD) is applied. To obtain a good correlation between the input reaction parameters and the output response parameter (FAME yield) from Azolla oil to biodiesel, an artificial neural network (ANN) model with two feed-forward back-propagation neural-network architecture Multilayer Perceptron Network (MLP) and Radial Basis Function Network (RBFN) was developed. With the experimental information obtained from the RSM model, the built ANN models were trained and evaluated. Absolute Average Deviation (AAD), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and coefficient of determination were statistically compared with the predictive capacity of both RSM and ANN models (R2). The statistical analysis showed that the measured FAME yield from both the RSM and ANN models was able to predict the FAME yield, and the findings limited the ANN model to the much more reliable FAME yield prediction compared to the RSM model.

PRODUCTION AND OPTIMIZATION OF BIODIESEL FROM PALM FATTY ACID DISTILLATE AND OLEIC ACID USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY APPROACH.

In this study, a mixed feed of Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD)/ oleic acid was used to produced biodiesel catalyzed by sulfonated carbon. The effect of three process variables i.e. methanol - to –PFAD/oleic acid molar ratio, catalyst loading and reaction time on the yield of biodiesel produced was studied using response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box-Behnken design (BBD). Optimum reaction conditions were obtained at 1:7 methanol- to-PFAD/oleic acid molar ratio, 15 wt.% catalyst loading and 5h reaction time. The predicted biodiesel yield was 96% under the optimal conditions. From the results obtained, it can be deduced that PFAD/ oleic acid has a high potential as an inedible feedstock to produce low cost biodiesel, and the method may be useful for industrial process optimization.

Low-cost biodiesel production using waste oil and catalyst.

With the production of renewable biofuels, concerns about the end of fossil fuels have been partially eliminated. On the other hand, the utilization of low-cost and waste materials to provide the raw essential substances to manufacture these fuels is of paramount importance. Biodiesel is one of these fuels and the required raw materials for the reaction are oil (triglycerides), alcohol and catalyst. In this work, travertine stone powder (as waste in the manufacture of building materials) was used as a catalyst and waste frying oil as a source of triglyceride for biodiesel production. Using thermogravimetric and X-ray diffraction analysis, optimum temperature for catalyst calcination was selected at 900°C. Furthermore, X-ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses were performed. Using the design of experiments Response Surface Methodology, the optimum reaction conditions for biodiesel production yield of 97.74% were: reaction temperature 59.52°C (~60°C), time 3.8 h (228 min), catalyst concentration 1.36 wt.% and the methanol to oil molar ratio of 11:6. After reusing four times, the catalyst efficiency was reduced a little, and the biodiesel yield was 89.84%, indicating high strength and stability of the catalyst.

Sustainable biodiesel production from waste cooking oil utilizing waste ostrich (Struthio camelus) bones derived heterogeneous catalyst

The present work espouses a zero-waste approach for relying on indigenous waste resources to deliver green and sustainable biofuel. This investigation reports biodiesel production from waste cooking oils (WCO) via cheap heterogeneous catalyst obtained from waste Ostrich (Struthio camelus) bones for the first-time. The synthesized catalyst was characterized by Thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Hammett indicator method and surface area calculations. The powdered ostrich bones were calcined at different temperatures, ranging from 600 to 1000 °C. Upon temperature rise, sharp peaks of hydroxyapatite (HAp) appeared as observed by XRD. The reaction parameters have been optimized in presence of the synthesized catalyst to maximize biodiesel yield. The optimum biodiesel yield of 90.56% was attained at methanol/oil ratio 15/1, process temperature 60 °C, catalyst loading 5 wt% within reaction duration of 4 h. It concludes that hydroxyapatite (HAp) derived from ostrich bones showed good catalytic performance to produce biodiesel from WCO. The synthesized catalyst sustained adequate catalytic activity even after being repeatedly recycled four times, which infers low-cost biodiesel production opportunities. Furthermore, an integrated waste oil/bone collection approach is recommended for the effective utilization of indigenous waste to produce biodiesel.

Sulfonated functionalization of carbon derived corncob residue via hydrothermal synthesis route for esterification of palm fatty acid distillate

Low-cost biodiesel was successfully produced through esterification of palm fatty acid distillate over corncob residue-derived heterogeneous solid acid catalyst. The sulfonated functionalized carbon derived from corncob was synthesized via hydrothermal carbonization followed by chemical activation using concentrated sulfuric acid. This technique allows efficient carbonization process and able to maintain active polar species of the catalyst hence effectively improves the acid strength of prepared catalyst. The esterification of palm fatty acid distillate over HTC-S catalyst was optimized via the one-variable-at-a-time technique, and 92% free fatty acid conversion with a biodiesel yield of 85% was achieved at optimum conditions of 2 h reaction time, 70 °C reaction temperature, 3 wt% catalyst loading, and 15:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio. Various of catalyst regeneration techniques have been studied and sulfuric acid treatment is found to be the most effective approach for restoring the active sites for spent HTC-S catalyst in comparison to washing solvent and thermal treatment. The HTC-S catalyst regenerated via sulfuric acid treatment is capable to convert PFAD to biodiesel with free fatty acid conversion >90% for two consecutive cycles. The synthesized PFAD-derived biodiesel has complied with the international biodiesel standard ASTM D6751.

The Assessment of Two Species of Soapberry as Resources for High-Quality Biodiesel Production with an Optimized Method of Ultrasound-Assisted Oil Extraction

Biodiesel has many advantages, yet its high price has become the main obstacle to market acceptance. Selecting non-edible woody oil plant resources and optimizing the oil extraction process will contribute to the effective utilization of raw materials and development of the related biodiesel industry. This study presents a detailed evaluation of two Sapindus species (Sapindus delavayi (Franch.) Radlk. and Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn.) as promising feedstocks for biodiesel production. As ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) is considered a green and efficient oil extraction method, the process was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) using a Box–Behnken design (BBD) in our study. The kernel oil yield of S. delavayi was up to 43.67% ± 0.16% under the optimized extraction conditions (the ultrasonic power was 109W, extracting at 65 °C for 25 min, and the liquid–solid ratio was 9 mL·g−1). The kernel oil yield of S. mukorossi was as high as 45.96% ± 0.21% under the optimized extraction conditions (the ultrasonic power was 114W, extracting at 68 °C for 26 min, and the liquid–solid ratio was 9 mL·g−1). The fatty acid profiles of S. delavayi and S. mukorossi kernel oils showed a high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids (74.91% and 76.32%, respectively) and a low percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (11.11% and 7.83%, respectively) and saturated fatty acids (13.98% and 15.85%, respectively). Most of the properties of the two biodiesels conformed to EN 14214:2014, ASTM D6751–2018 and GB 25199–2017 standards, except for oxidation stability. In general, the results provided the optimized extraction method using ultrasound for the two species oil extraction and proved that the two kernel oils are potentially useful feedstocks for high-quality and low-cost biodiesel production.

Design and development of a low-cost reactor for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO)

Biodiesel stands out as a renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic fuel when compared to fossil fuels, and has attracted significant attention from researchers and industries for environmental protection and sustainable development. However, around 95% of the world biodiesel production is derived from edible oils, which leads to a competition between oil production for food or for fuel and results in increased costs compared to diesel fuel. Biodiesel production from WCO offers a clean technological solution for both disposal of WCO and cost production problems. For these reasons, non-edible waste cooking oils are considered one of the most promising alternatives of raw material for biodiesel production. WCO can also promote social inclusion in urban areas by generating extra revenue by recycling. The aim of the present work was to develop a low-cost biodiesel reactor by Biosystems Engineering students and teachers from the School of Sciences and Engineering of São Paulo State University (UNESP). The primary goal was to include biofuels technology into the Biosystems Engineering undergraduate curriculum in order to integrate and transcend the contents contemplated in our course by helping the students to build a technological low-cost reactor with innovative research in the biofuels technology field.

Effect of impurities in the crude glycerol polymerization reaction to produce polyglycerol

Crude glycerol is a low-cost biodiesel industry co-product in a ratio of 1:10 with the main product. The large quantities of crude glycerol produced affect the biodiesel and glycerol markets. Consequently, the exploration of new applications for crude glycerol becomes crucial. As the composition of crude glycerol differs significantly from that of purified glycerol, this work was focused on studying the effect of crude glycerol impurities on its polymerization, as this process, at the same reaction conditions established for the polymerization of purified glycerol, did not result in polymeric products. To identify the reason for this result, the crude glycerol was fully characterized to identify its composition. Hence, an experimental design using simulated crude glycerol was performed to study the effect of the most abundant impurities in the raw glycerol on the polymerization andthe impurities that would persist with such reaction conditions, such as soap and sodium. The response variable for the experimental design was the hydroxyl number of the reaction products. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to analyze differences among the reaction products obtained from different treatments. The presence of soap was identified as primary inhibitory factor and the bottleneck in the formation of polyglycerol via polymerization of crude glycerol. Molecular weights of the polymerization reaction products were determined and analyzed as per the MALDI-TOF technique. The identification of the effect of impurities of crude glycerol polymerization suggests new routes for using it in the production of high value-added chemicals.