Transesterification Of Vegetable Oils Research Articles

Bio-hydrogen production from crude glycerol: Optimisation through response surface methodology and artificial neural network approach

Crude glycerol (CG) is the main by-product of biodiesel production from the transesterification of vegetable or animal oils. The CG's high energy content makes it an effective carbon source for bio-hydrogen production. However, the purity of CG derived from the transesterification process may vary due to impurities such as methanol, soap, salt, etc., which influence the hydrogen production yield. The present study investigated the impacts of initial glycerol, methanol, and soap concentration of CG on the hydrogen production by dark fermentation, and the effect of various factors was evaluated and optimised with the response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) approach to maximise the yield of hydrogen production. Both the results of these approaches showed good fitting. The correlation coefficient between actual and predicted values from RSM and ANN models is closer to ∼1, and the lower error shows the applicability of these models. A maximum of 17.67 mmol/L of hydrogen production was obtained via RSM with optimum methanol, soap and glycerol concentrations of 2.75 g/L, 6.07 g/L, and 20.45 g/L, respectively. Besides, the 3-D response surface graphs illustrated the suppressive impact of increased initial concentration of methanol and soap, along with higher initial concentrations of glycerol, on hydrogen production. Further, the outcome of the controlled experiment shows that the presence of impurities (methanol and soap) in glycerol reduces the cumulative hydrogen production by 5 %–17 % compared to the control for over five days.

Epoxidation of Camelina sativa oil methyl esters as a second-generation biofuel with thermodynamic calculations

The epoxidation of methyl esters found in Camelina sativa (CS) non-edible oil — largely containing unsaturated fatty acids — was performed. Epoxides are known to be used in biopolymer formation and CO2 capture. This study distinctively demonstrates epoxidation process through a combination of statistical methods and quantum chemical thermodynamic calculations. Esters produced along with glycerol during transesterification of vegetable oils can be used efficiently through epoxidation. Epoxidation products synthesized at various reaction conditions (including oil refinement) were analyzed through gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. According to the statistical analysis, the reaction time and temperature had the highest effect on the composition of products and oil refining is unnecessary. Moreover, iodine values (ester conversion) were determined without the use of chemicals through Raman spectroscopy. The study findings indicate CS epoxidation to be an environment-friendly process.

Waste snail shells-derived mixed oxide catalyst for efficient transesterification of vegetable oil: Towards sustainable biodiesel production

This study explores the transesterification process of soybean oil for the production of biodiesel, utilizing an innovative mixed oxide catalyst obtained from discarded snail shells powder. The catalyst synthesis involved a thermal treatment at 900°C for 120 min, predominantly yielding calcium oxide (CaO). In order to evaluate its properties, we carried out a thorough characterization using various analytical techniques. The study explores the impact of crucial variables on the transesterification reaction, such as reaction time (from 30 to 150 min), methanol-to-oil ratio (from 3:1–18:1), and catalyst concentration (from 0.5% to 4% by weight). Optimal conditions emerged with a 90-min reaction time, a 12:1 methanol-to-oil ratio, and a 2% catalyst loading, yielding an impressive biodiesel conversion rate of approximately 93%. The validity of biodiesel conversion was confirmed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1 H NMR). The resultant biodiesel exhibited highly favorable characteristics, including an acid value of 0.85 mg of KOH/g, a density of 886.8 kg/m3, and a viscosity of 4.6 mm2/s. These measurements align with the standards set forth in EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 regarding biodiesel quality. The utilization of waste snail shells powder as a precursor for synthesizing the mixed oxide catalyst presents a promising approach for the sustainable production of biodiesel from soybean oil, offering a sustainable and efficient approach to biofuel production.

Rebiopolyols – New components for the synthesis of polyurethane biofoams in line with the circular economy concept

The primary goal of the research presented here was to evaluate the possibility of chemolysis of polyurethane biofoams synthesized from vegetable oil-based biopolyols with different chemical structures. As a reference material, a foam synthesized in 100 % from a petrochemical polyol was used. Chemolysis of polyurethane foams was conducted by using diethylene glycol as a solvent with a 1.5:1 wt ratio of biopolyurethane scraps to glycol. The reaction was carried out at 180 °C for 100 min in the presence of potassium hydroxide as a catalyst. The results of the chemolysis of different polyurethane foams were evaluated in terms of the hydroxyl number, amine value, viscosity, molecular weight and FTIR analysis of the new rebiopolyols. It can be concluded that the chemical structures of different biopolyols (obtained through the method of transesterification of vegetable oils with two different reagents and a two-step method of epoxidation and oxirane rings opening) that are used to make biopolyurethane foams have an impact on the course of the chemolysis process and the properties of resultant rebiopolyols.In order to verify the application possibilities of the new components obtained in accordance with the idea of circular economy, extreme conditions were applied in the form of complete replacement of the polyol in the reference foam with the rebiopolyols. It was found that replacing the petrochemical polyol with the repolyol results in partial cell opening, and replacing this component with the rebiopolyols results in open-cell foams. Only the rebiopolyol derived from the biofoam with the biopolyol obtained by transesterification of oil with triethanolamine was not suitable for use in a polyurethane system because its reactivity was too high. In conclusion, there is no need to use catalysts to obtain new biofoams from rebiopolyols given the catalytic nature of the new biocomponents.

Measuring risk of renewable diesel production processes using a multi-criteria decision strategy

This study proposes measuring the risk of five alternative renewable diesel production technologies using a multi-criteria decision matrix strategy. Evaluated criteria include environmental, economic, technological, social, and process safety risks. The subjective Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with stakeholder input provides criteria and sub-criteria weightings and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) ranks alternatives. Alternative renewable diesel options are Green Diesel from first, second, and third-generation feedstocks, Fischer-Tropsch Diesel from second-generation biomass, and the transesterification of vegetable oils (VO) to make biodiesel. This study is a response to an earlier work measuring the sustainability of the same renewable technologies. While the previous work indicated Fischer-Tropsch Diesel as the most sustainable, this current work indicated the process as the “most risky,” suggesting that risk is a significant driver of decision making over sustainability, and newly developed decision tools should address both perspectives.

Experimental studies on renewable hydrogen production by steam reforming of glycerol over zirconia promoted on Ni/Al2O3 catalyst

Abstract The impact of ZrO2 as a catalytic promoter for nickel-based alumina supported catalysts has been studied for the hydrogen synthesis via glycerol steam reforming. Hydrogen is a promising contender of clean fuel and has a key significance in the quest of an environment-preservation, low emission and more sustainable energy approach. Glycerol is a by-product produced during production of biodiesel by trans-esterification of vegetable oils. The higher hydrogen content in glycerol makes it the potential renewable feedstock for hydrogen production. Steam reforming process is the best method available which is highest in energy efficiency and most importantly most economical. The production of catalysts was based on the wet impregnation and co-precipitation methods. The majority of the bulk and surface properties of different synthesized catalysts were considered and determined by several characterization techniques like X-ray diffraction technique, BET surface area and scanning electron microscopy. The performance of catalyst is based on glycerol conversion and hydrogen yield obtained from the steam reforming process taking place in the fixed bed catalytic reactor. The effect of different operating conditions like contact time, temperature, metal loading, and steam to glycerol ratio were investigated to produce maximum hydrogen and glycerol conversion. The results show that the incorporation of promoter 2 % ZrO2 improved the activity of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts significantly resulting 96 % glycerol conversion, 84 % hydrogen production and greater stability at contact time = 15 kg cat s/mol, temperature = 800 °C, steam to glycerol ratio = 9:1 mol/mol, and pressure = 1 atm.

Optimization of Biolubricant from Terminalia catappa (Almond) Seed Oil Using CaO Derived from Limestone as Catalyst

This research aimed at developing a process optimization of biolubricant production that will be environmentally eco-friendly. Greater concern has been focused on the use of solid-base catalysts, such asalcium oxide from limestone, for the transesterification of vegetable oils. Limestone was pretreated and calcined to 900 °C for 5 hours to obtain calcium oxide (CaO). The tropical almond seed oil was extracted from the tropical almond seeds using the soxhlet extraction method with a yield of 53.91%. The biolubricant was produced via double transesterification of tropical almond seed oil with methanol andrimethylolpropane (TMP) under reflux at different reaction conditions. Optimization of process parameters for the transesterification of tropical almond seed oil was determined using a response surface based on Box-Beinkhen design. The optimum yield of the biolubricant, 81.9%, was achieved at a temperature of 150oC, catalyst dose of 0.75 %wt and reaction time of 3 hours, respectively

Effects of diesel-biodiesel fuel blends doped with zinc oxide nanoparticles on performance and combustion attributes of a diesel engine

To improve the fuel properties and enhance the overall characteristics of a diesel engine, the current work assesses the performance and combustion attributes of a diesel engine fueled by different blends of diesel, second generation biodiesel, and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. The biodiesel was prepared using the transesterification of waste cooking vegetable oil. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were dispersed in diesel and biodiesel fuel blends at one dosage level of 50 ppm using ultrasonication process to prevent their agglomeration in the base liquid. The experiments were performed at different engine speeds (1700, 2000, 2300, 2600, 2900) RPM and full load operating conditions. The experimental results revealed that the addition of ZnO compensated for the poor combustion characteristic of biodiesel and hence promoted diesel engine performance and combustion attributes. The engine torque improved by 6.74, 4.9 and 3.69% while the BSFC reduced by 5.6, 6.44 and 2.5% for B0ZnO, B20ZnO and B40ZnO fuel blends compared to B0, B20 and B40 respectively at 2300 RPM. In addition, the engine heat release rate, ignition delay period and in-cylinder pressure were promoted. ZnO nanoparticles additives could be an effective approach for improving the combustion and performance characteristics in diesel engine applications.

Super rapid preparation of biodiesel over highly dispersed K2CO3 supported by LDH

AbstractA new heterogeneous K2CO3 supported by a layered double hydroxide (LDH), Mg–Al hydrotalcite, was prepared and used as a catalyst for the biodiesel preparation by a tri‐component coupling transesterification of methanol, vegetable oil, and methyl acetate. K2CO3/Mg‐Al exhibits high catalytic activities, and biodiesel yield can reach 99.48% within 20 min under 60°C, with 6 wt.% of K2CO3/Mg‐Al, 1:1:12 molar ratio of rapeseed oil, methyl acetate, and methanol. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen physical adsorption, thermogravimetry analysis, and CO2‐chemical adsorption were used to assess the physical properties of the prepared K2CO3/Mg‐Al. Using the tri‐component coupling transesterification, 12.2% cost reduce can be get by reducing the cost from 8458 to 7424 ¥/t compared with di‐component transesterification containing oil and methanol as resource.

Supercritical transesterification of vegetable oil and ethanol: temperature and residence time effects on phase formation and water content

Supercritical transesterification has emerged as a readily available alternative for biodiesel production since no catalyst is required, thereby generating fewer waste products. In this research, the supercritical transesterification of refined vegetable oil and aqueous ethanol was carried out at temperatures 400 to 480 °C and a 12:1 ethanol to oil molar ratio, to assess the effect of temperature and residence time in the formation of a homogeneous phase, effluent appearance and increased water content derived from glycerol etherification. The results showed that water was produced at temperatures higher than 400 °C, as expected from the occurrence of glycerol etherification, and that prolonged times resulted in gas and soot formation, indicating esters decomposition. Through water mass balances, it was possible to identify the set of operation conditions in which the water formed from glycerol etherification matched with the maximum expected according to the proposed reaction scheme.

Sustainable biodiesel production via transesterification of vegetable oils and waste frying oil over reusable magnetic Ca2Fe2O5/CaO@MgFe2O4-Fe2O3 catalyst

ABSTRACT The leaching and reusability problem of the catalyst in the catalytic transesterification for biodiesel production led to the poor sustainability and high posttreatment cost. Herein, a reusable magnetic Ca2Fe2O5/CaO@MgFe2O4-Fe2O3 catalyst with high textural stability and good catalytic activity was prepared in this study, and its catalytic performance toward transesterification of five different oil feedstocks was evaluated. Catalyst preparation conditions were optimized and characterizations including scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and so on, were also conducted to investigate the catalytic behaviors. The results demonstrated that the catalyst has good ferromagnetism for magnetic separation, and the presence of synergistic interaction enhanced catalytic activity with all of > 90% biodiesel yield and improved the reusability with > 75% biodiesel yields at the 10th cycle. In addition, the biodiesel yield reached the maximum under the transesterification reaction parameters were optimized, and at the 15/1 methanol/oil molar ratio, 2.5 wt% catalyst dosage, 70°C for 120 min. Further, for biodiesel from five different oil feedstocks, the same composition, all of > 90% yield and the quality that met the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) standards demonstrated the strong oil feedstocks applicability and application potential of catalysts.

Analisis Pengaruh Jumlah Variasi Katalis MeOH Pada Pembuatan Biodiesel Melalui Proses Transesterifikasi

Biodiesel is a bioenergy or biofuel produced by transesterification of vegetable oil (animal fat). Transesterification is a chemical method in which oil triglycerides react with methanol with the help of an alkaline catalyst to produce biodiesel. The goal of this study is to determine the quality of biodiesel utilizing MeOH as a catalyst throughout the transesterification process. This study aims to produce biodiesel using the transesterification process with palm oil as the main raw material. Making biodiesel begins with heating the palm oil at 61-65 oC and then adding a mixture of NaOH and methanol solutions so that glycerol, emulsion, and biodiesel are obtained as a result of transesterification. Finally, a separatory funnel is used to obtain pure biodiesel. The yield values of biodiesel produced with MeOH catalysts of 20%, 25%, and 30% were 81.5%, 86.6%, and 44.4%, respectively. Furthermore, this study performed density calculations that influenced the quality of biodiesel from each amount of MeOH utilized to achieve a density of 0.85 g/ml. As can be observed, the usage of MeOH catalyst has an effect on the quality of biodiesel yields.

Получение биодизельного топлива из растительного сырья

One way to reduce the amount of harmful emissions from diesel fuel could be the replacement of part of the fuel with biofuel. Research is related to the production of biodiesel fuel in three ways: transesterification of vegetable oils; esterification of fat acids extracted from vegetable oil; and hydroprocessing of vegetable oils using catalysts in the diesel hydrotreatment process. Food and non-food oils, monatomic and diatomic alcohols were used to produce biodiesel fuel. Optimal parameters of vegetable oil transesterification have been determined: temperature; raw material ratio (oil/alcohol); mixing speed; time; type of process catalyst. The characteristics of the obtained biodiesel fuel samples were studied and compared with each other as well as with the requirements of EN 14214 “Automotive fuels. Fat acid methyl ethers for diesel engines. General technical requirements” and EN 590:2009 “EURO diesel fuel. Technical specifications”. With regard to the physical and chemical characteristics of biodiesel fuel, the best way to produce it is by transesterification of vegetable oils. However, all fuels can be used as components of a blended environmentally friendly diesel fuel.

CO2 REDUCTION IN BRAZILIAN ROAD AND RAIL TRANSPORT

For several years, the use of oil for driving vehicles, generating power and many other activities has caused the world to become highly dependent on it, which is running out. The paper purposes to clarify the Biodiesel stands out among these alternatives as a potential replacement for petroleum diesel, and it is obtained through the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fat. As a methodology, the study opted for a case study using equations to calculate the final fuel consumption of buses urban transportation in Rio de Janeiro City. As findings, we obtained that to being renewable, biodiesel reduces Brazil's dependence on petroleum and emits less greenhouse gases such as CO2. The paper includes social and pratical implications: based on calculations performed considering petrodiesel consumption in Brazil, this study aims to quantifying CO2 emissions until 2025. The value is in to avoid emissions when methyl biodiesel produced from soybean oil is used as part of the fuel, considering the blend percentages determined by the Brazilian government for the established period.

STUDY OF PERFORMANCE AND EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF DIESEL- BIODIESEL BLENDS ON VARIABLE COMPRESSION TEST RIG

The scarcity of petroleum products is forcing renewable energy resources to be more attractive. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel created through the transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fats. The most important biodiesel quality parameters are obtained by paying attention to and making a trade-off between reaction time and temperature. The presence of contaminants in the feedstock, such as water and free fatty acids, or impurities in the final products, such as methanol, free glycerine, or soap, causes difficulties during this process. This research work has developed processes to produce biodiesel from Jatropha curcas. The biodiesel was extracted and all the blends were characterized to determine the physicochemical characteristics by the test methods ASTM 6571. The emission characteristics indicate that B20 was less than all types of oil samples. The power and torque outputs of B20 were found better than all blends next to the baseline diesel fuel. The smell of the smoke of B40 was spicy and its smoke density was very little as compared to all types of fuel samples. The novel finding of this study was that increasing the biodiesel in the blend increases brake power, and torque and reduces brake-specific fuel consumption.

Biodiesel Production from Waste Oil Catalysed by Metal-Organic Framework (MOF-5): Insights on Activity and Mechanism

The activity of MOF-5-based solids has been exploited in the simultaneous transesterification and esterification of acid vegetable oils. For this purpose, three different types of MOF-5 have been synthesized and characterized, and then tested in the above-mentioned reactions. It has been demonstrated that the “regular MOF-5” was a suitable catalyst for biodiesel synthesis from waste oil also, rich in FFA (Free Fatty Acids). Moreover, to identify the true structure that acts in the reactions and possible structural modifications due to the presence of alcohols, proper studies have been performed. The results have evidenced a distortion of the regular structure of MOF-5 due to the breakage of some zinc bonds between the cluster and organic framework.

Production, Characterization, and Exergy Analysis of the Soybean Biodiesel Produced by Laboratory Scale

The world's hegemonic energy model is mostly based on the burning of fossil fuels. The heavy reliance on oil, coal, and natural gas for power generation as well as the pollution resulting from burning such fuels is a growing global concern. Biodiesel from the transesterification of vegetable oils is a promising alternative source for diesel engines. The ANP, National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels, regulates fuels in Brazil. In this work, soybean biodiesel was produced on a laboratory scale through an alkaline transesterification reaction. An analysis of the exegetic efficiency of the process, the physical-chemical characterization of biodiesel, and a brief discussion on the following parameters were carried out: higher and lower calorific value, water content, specific mass at 20°C, kinematic viscosity at 40°C, acidity index and oxidative stability, verifying the adequacy to the parameters of ANP Resolutions nº 45/2014 and nº 798/2019. Considering the exergetic efficiency of 63.42% and the physical-chemical characterization, despite the non-conformities in water content and oxidative stability, soybean biodiesel proved to be a satisfactory alternative for renewable fuel.

Synthesized heterogeneous nano‐catalyst from cow teeth for fatty acid methyl esters production through transesterification of waste vegetable frying oil and methanol: Characterization and optimization studies

AbstractUsing readily available biomass, it is possible to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) at a low cost. This study focused on the transesterification process of waste frying vegetable oil to generate FAME (biodiesel) using a cost‐effective heterogeneous nano‐catalyst synthesized from waste cow teeth (CT). The cow teeth nano‐catalyst (CTNC) was synthesized via a three‐step method of calcination, hydration‐dehydration, and re‐calcination. The synthesized CTNC samples were characterized. The Box–Behnken design of response surface methodology (RSM) was used to obtain the optimal operating conditions that maximize the FAME yield (Y 1 ) and the effects of the transesterification process conditions on FAME production. The results revealed that CTNC is of microporous structure with higher crystallinity. It consists of hydroxyapatite, beta‐tricalcium phosphate, and calcium oxide, having a mean particle size of 43.96 nm, a specific surface area of 124.77 m 2 /g, and a pore volume of 0.303 cm 3 /g. The process conditions that significantly influenced the EWFVOME yield were the CTNC loading, reaction time, and MTOR. A maximum of 98.70% (Y 1 ) was obtained at the optimum transesterification process variables of reaction time (2 h), MTOR (12:1), and CTNC loading (3.75 wt%). The biodiesel fuel properties were found to be within the acceptable values of ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 fuel standards.

Exploration of agricultural residue ash as a solid green heterogeneous base catalyst for biodiesel production

AbstractBiodiesel is an economical and nonpolluting green fuel produced from the transesterification of oil and alcohol in the presence of a catalyst. Transesterification of vegetable oils with conventional (homogeneous) catalysts for biodiesel production is considered to have a promising future but they are nonrenewable and hazardous. The major setback is the increase in cost of production. High production cost, in terms of feedstock oil and catalyst acquisition is one of the major challenges facing the global commercialization and acceptance of biodiesel. Heterogeneous solid catalysts are currently replacing homogeneous catalysts because of their ability to overcome hurdles associated with homogeneous catalysts. This study discussed the development and feasibility of calcined ash from agricultural residues as a solid green heterogeneous base catalyst for biodiesel production without chemical degradation. Solid‐calcined ash based catalysts are being developed primarily via calcination at suitable temperatures and have been used as catalysts without mixing with carrier compounds. The various agricultural residues used and the corresponding biodiesel yields were also discussed. The study also looked at some agricultural residues that could be targeted for high catalytic output. It was found that high biodiesel yields (80%–98%) were achieved with most of the crude oil raw materials used. The catalyst could be reused at least five (5) times. From the discussed literature, it was found that the current state of biodiesel production can be improved by using heterogeneous base catalysts made from agricultural residue calcined ash.

Using Response Surface Methodology to Optimize Biodiesel Production from Sweet Almond (Prunusamygdalus Dulcis) and Jatropha (Jatropha Curcas) Seed Oils

The depletion of natural resources and the negative impact of oil on the environment have sparked interest in biodiesel as an alternative source of energy. Indigenous vegetable oils have the potential to be used as biodiesel feedstocks. Transesterification of vegetable oils produces biodiesel, which is regulated by numerous inputs factors, such as catalyst dosage, temperature, speed, and time while the density and specific gravity are outputs. Sweet almond (prunusamygdalus dulcis) and jatropha (jatropha curcas) seed oils were used to optimize conditions for the transesterification processes using the response surface methodology (RSM). The experimental matrix at different sodium hydroxide doses (0.3 – 1.5 wt %), intensity (500 – 1000 rpm), and time (20 – 60 min) in the presence of fixed molar ratio, and temperature were designed to optimize the biodiesel output variables (yield, specific gravity, and density).The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed results for refined sweet almond biodiesel (RSAB) at catalyst (0.554 wt %), speed (750 rpm), time (40 min), giving the optimization solution with the specific gravity (0.995 g/cm3), density (1.230 g/cm3) with the yield of 83.304% for RSAB. Whereas the RJB had the optimum catalyst of (0.3 wt %,), speed (500 rpm), time (44.1 min), with the specific gravity (0.964 g/cm3), density (0.884 g/cm3), and the biodiesel yield of 96.4%. The estimated biodiesel yields vary by 13.096% under these reaction conditions. According to ANOVA statistics, the catalyst dose has a substantial effect on biodiesel yields, and these biodiesels could be employed as an environmentally friendly alternative to diesel.