Ultrasonic-assisted biodiesel production process from palm oil using alkaline earth metal oxides as the heterogeneous catalysts

The ultrasonic-assisted transesterification of palm oil in the presence of alkaline earth metal oxide catalysts (CaO, SrO and BaO) was investigated. Batch process assisted by 20 kHz ultrasonic cavitation was carried out to study the effect of reaction time (10-60 min), alcohol to palm oil molar ratio (3:1-15:1), catalysts loading (0.5-3%) and varying of ultrasonic amplitudes (25-100%). The activities of the catalysts were mainly related to their basic strength. The catalytic activity was in the sequence of CaO < SrO < BaO. At optimum conditions, 60 min was required to achieve 95% yield compared to 2-4 h with conventional stirring. Also, the yields achieved in 60 min increased from 5.5% to 77.3% (CaO), 48.2% to 95.2% (SrO), and 67.3% to 95.2 (BaO). Fifty percentage amplitude of ultrasonic irradiation was deemed the most suitable value and physical changes on the catalysts after the ultrasonic-assisted reaction were successfully elucidated. BaO catalyst underwent relatively more severe activity drop in the catalyst reusability test. Catalysts dissolution was found to be mainly responsible for activity drop of the reused catalysts, especially with BaO catalyst.     

Synthesis of biodiesel fuel using an electrolysis method

The paper details the first use of a simple electrolysis method to produce biodiesel fuel (BDF) from corn oil and waste cooking oil at room temperature. This novel process exhibited a high fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield (>97%) even in the presence of a relatively high water content (as high as 2 wt.% of the total reaction mixture) when using a low concentration of sodium chloride (<1.2 wt.% based on oil weight). FAME yield was influenced by methanol/oil molar ratio, the amount of cosolvent addition, water content, NaCl concentration and electrolysis voltage. With the proceeding of electrolysis, the pH value of the electrolyte rapidly increased from 7 to 12, but the conductivity of the reaction mixture decreased. When the electrolysis was stopped on the way, the transesterification reaction was still continued, but the reaction rate became lower than that when continuing the electrolysis in the case of high water content. During the electrolysis process, no chlorine molecule in the evolved gas was detected (<0.5 ppm).     

镍镁铝复合金属氧化物催化剂制备生物柴油

采用共沉淀法先制备镍镁铝类水滑石化合物,以其为前驱体经400℃煅烧后制得镍镁铝复合金属氧化物催化剂。研究了过渡金属含量、n(甲醇)∶n(大豆油)和反应温度对生物柴油转化率的影响。当n(Ni 2+)∶n(Mg2+)∶n(Al 3+)=0.64∶2.36∶1时,转化率最高,可达到92.8%。而n(甲醇)∶n(大豆油)=10∶1,w(催化剂)=4%,反应温度为65℃,反应时间4h是所得的最佳操作条件。研究出的镍镁铝复合金属氧化物可作为多相催化剂,具有生产生物柴油的潜力。     

Highly efficient procedure for the synthesis of biodiesel from soybean oil

The novel efficient procedure has been developed for the synthesis of biodiesel from soybean oil and methanol. K₂CO₃ supported on MgO has been selected as the most efficient catalyst for the reaction with the yield of 99%. Operational simplicity, low cost of the catalyst used, high yields, short reaction time and reusability are the key features of this methodology.     

Transesterification of soybean frying oil to biodiesel using heterogeneous catalysts

In the present work, the transesterification reaction of soybean frying oil with methanol, in the presence of different heterogeneous catalysts (Mg MCM-41, Mg-Al Hydrotalcite, and K⁺ impregnated zirconia), using low frequency ultrasonication (24 KHz) and mechanical stirring (600 rpm) for the production of biodiesel fuel was studied. Selection of catalysts was based on a combination of porosity and surface basicity. Their characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction, Nitrogen adsorption-desorption porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectra (EDS). The activities of the catalysts were related to their basic strength. Mg-Al hydrotalcite showed particularly the highest activity (conversion 97%). It is important to mention that the catalyst activity of ZrO₂ in the transesterification reaction increased as the catalyst was enriched with more potassium cations becoming more basic. Use of ultrasonication significantly accelerated the transesterification reaction compared to the use of mechanical stirring (5 h versus 24 h).     

Transesterification of vegetable oil to biodiesel fuel using acid catalysts in the presence of dimethyl ether

The immiscibility of methanol and vegetable oil leads to a mass-transfer resistance in the transesterification of vegetable oil. To overcome this problem, dimethyl ether (DME) was used as an environmentally friendly cosolvent to produce a homogeneous solution. Methylesterifications of corn oil in both the presence and the absence of DME were performed using p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA), benzenesulfonic acid and sulfuric acid. PTSA showed highest catalytic activity. The yield of FAME reached 97.1% when 4 wt% of PTSA based on the oil weight was used at 80 °C with a reaction time of 2 h in the presence of DME. The obtained biodiesel was composed of methyl palmitate (9.1 wt%), methyl oleate (33.9 wt%), methyl linoleate (53.5 wt%), methyl linolenate (3.0 wt%) and methyl arachidate (0.5 wt%), and it was similar to the biodiesel compositions from corn oil as reported. The effects of concentrations of FFA and water on FAME yields were also investigated. All results suggested that the reaction rate was greatly improved by the addition of DME to the reaction system.     

Theoretical study of the transesterification of triglycerides to biodiesel fuel

The transesterification of various triglycerides was considered in terms of the activation energy obtained from quantum computational chemistry. According to these values, the effect upon the reactivity of the structure of the triglyceride is not particularly large. Moreover, the transesterification reaction is completed via a transition state, in which ring formation consisting of the carbon of the carboxyl and alkoxy groups appears, even if a long-chain alcohol is used as a reactant. Finally, an ideal reaction pathway, in which the ester bond at the center of the triglyceride is transesterified before peripheral ester bonds, was shown by an activation energy analysis and electrostatic potential (ESP) distribution.     

生物柴油合成催化剂的研究进展

生物柴油是典型的"绿色能源",是优质的石油柴油代用品。综述了酯交换方法生产生物柴油过程中催化剂的研究进展,并重点介绍了固体碱催化剂的研究状况。     

Optimization of the transesterification reaction in biodiesel production

In this paper response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the transesterification reaction of rapeseed oil for biodiesel production. The three main factors that drive the conversion of triglycerides into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were studied according to a full factorial design at two levels. These factors were catalyst concentration (KOH), temperature and reaction time. The range investigated for each factor was selected taking into account the process of Fox Petroli S.p.A. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significance of the factors and their interactions which primarily affect the first of the two transesterification stages. This analysis evidenced the best operating conditions of the first transesterification reaction performed at Fox’s plant: KOH concentration 0.6% w/w, temperature 50 °C and reaction time 90 min with a CH₃OH to KOH ratio equal to 60. Three empirical models were derived to correlate the experimental results, suitable to predict the behavior of triglyceride, diglyceride and monoglyceride concentration. These models showed a good agreement with the experimental results, demonstrating that this methodology may be useful for industrial process optimization.     

Advances on the development of novel heterogeneous catalysts for transesterification of triglycerides in biodiesel

This paper describes experimental work done towards the search for more profitable and sustainable alternatives regarding biodiesel production, using heterogeneous catalysts instead of the conventional homogenous alkaline catalysts, such as NaOH, KOH or sodium methoxide, for the methanolysis reaction. This experimental work is a first stage on the development and optimization of new solid catalysts, able to produce biodiesel from vegetable oils. The heterogeneous catalytic process has many differences from the currently used in industry homogeneous process. The main advantage is that, it requires lower investment costs, since no need for separation steps of methanol/catalyst, biodiesel/catalyst and glycerine/catalyst. This work resulted in the selection of CaO and CaO modified with Li catalysts, which showed very good catalytic performances with high activity and stability. In fact FAME yields higher than 92% were observed in two consecutive reaction batches without expensive intermediate reactivation procedures. Therefore, those catalysts appear to be suitable for biodiesel production.     

Kinetics of biodiesel synthesis from sunflower oil over CaO heterogeneous catalyst

Calcium oxide as a heterogeneous catalyst was investigated for its effect on the biodiesel synthesis from refined sunflower oil. Experiments were carried out using a commercial bench stirred tank reactor of 2 dm³ volume, at 200 rpm, with a methanol to oil ratio 6 to 1 and 1 mas.% catalyst loading as constant parameters. Ester yields were followed as a function of temperature (60-120 °C), pressure (1-15 bars) and reaction time (1.5-5.5 h). The temperature of 100 °C was found to be optimal for the maximum (91%) conversion to methyl esters, while pressure had a positive impact up to 10 bars at 80 °C. The catalyst activation in air leading to the formation of strong basic sites was found to occur at 900 °C. Catalyst particle coalescence took place during the reaction, giving a gum-like structure, and resulted in a significant catalyst deactivation. The pseudo-first order reaction was established, with a “knee” at 80 °C in the Arrhenius plot separating the kinetic and diffusion regimes. During the reaction progress, an activation energy decrease from 161 to 101 kJ/mol, and from 32 to (−3) kJ/mol, was found for the kinetic and diffusion regimes, respectively.     

Kalsilite based heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production

Kalsilite (KAlSiO₄) was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for transesterification of soybean oil with methanol to biodiesel. Kalsilite showed relatively low catalytic activity for transesterification reaction. The catalytic activity of this catalyst was significantly enhanced by introducing a small amount of lithium nitrate by the impregnation method. A biodiesel yield of 100% and a kinematic viscosity of 3.84 cSt were achieved at a mild temperature of only 120 °C over this lithium modified kalsilite catalyst (2.3 wt.% Li).     

Process optimization design for jatropha-based biodiesel production using response surface methodology

Biodiesel of non food vegetal oil origin is gaining attention as a replacement for current fossil fuels as its non-food chain interfering manufacturing processes shall prevent food source competition which is expected to happen with current biodiesel production processes. As a result, non edible Jatropha curcas plant oil is claimed to be a highly potential feedstock for non-food origin biodiesel. CaO–MgO mixed oxide catalyst was employed in transesterification of non-edible J. curcas plant oil in biodiesel production. Response surface methodology (RSM) in conjunction with the central composite design (CCD) was employed to statistically evaluate and optimize the biodiesel production process. It was found that the production of biodiesel achieved an optimum level of 93.55% biodiesel yield at the following reaction conditions: 1) Methanol/oil molar ratio: 38.67, 2) Reaction time: 3.44 h, 3) Catalyst amount: 3.70 wt.%, and 4) Reaction temperature: 115.87 °C. In economic point of view, transesterification of J. curcas plant oil using CaO–MgO mixed oxide catalyst requires less energy which contributed to high production cost in biodiesel production. The incredibly high biodiesel yield of 93.55% was proved to be the synergetic effect of basicity between the active components of CaO–MgO shown in the physicochemical analysis.     

Sunflower biodiesel production and application in family farms in Brazil

There are limited options available for compact small-scale biodiesel production equipment that produces biodiesel of similar quality as that obtained from an industrial-scale production system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate equipment optimization for producing 40–200 L/day of biodiesel. The equipment was used to produce biodiesel for personal consumption. The produced biodiesel was tested in three microtractors, the principal agricultural machines used in family farms in the Vale do Rio Pardo region of Southern Brazil. Our results demonstrated that the equipment produced biodiesel of sufficient quality according to the limits established by the Brazilian Petroleum National Agency (ANP). In conclusion, this biodiesel can be used in microtractors with little wear on engine parts.     

连续化条件下超临界甲醇法制备生物柴油

在连续操作的管式反应器中,以大豆油为原料在压力11～19MPa,温度240～400℃的超临界甲醇条件下进行连续化制备生物柴油的研究。考察了在连续反应条件下醇油摩尔比、压力、温度、停留时间及共溶剂对大豆油转化率的影响。实验结果表明:较高的醇油摩尔比有利于油脂转化率的提高,但当醇油摩尔比超过40:1后提高醇油摩尔比对提高油脂转化率的影响不大;在11～15MPa范围内,压力升高对油脂转化率影响很大,但高于15MPa后压力对转化率的影响减弱;反应温度对油脂转化率有着重要影响,在300℃以上随着温度的升高,油脂转化率有较大幅度的上升,但温度太高油脂会发生分解反应;醇油摩尔比40:1,温度350℃,压力15MPa,停留时间1000s是该实验获得的最佳反应条件,在该条件下油脂转化率可达89%。实验还研究了添加共溶剂四氢呋喃对油脂转化率的影响。     

Transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel using CaO as a solid base catalyst

In this study, transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel using CaO as a solid base catalyst was studied. The reaction mechanism was proposed and the separate effects of the molar ratio of methanol to oil, reaction temperature, mass ratio of catalyst to oil and water content were investigated. The experimental results showed that a 12:1 molar ratio of methanol to oil, addition of 8% CaO catalyst, 65 °C reaction temperature and 2.03% water content in methanol gave the best results, and the biodiesel yield exceeded 95% at 3 h. The catalyst lifetime was longer than that of calcined K₂CO₃/γ-Al₂O₃ and KF/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts. CaO maintained sustained activity even after being repeatedly used for 20 cycles and the biodiesel yield at 1.5 h was not affected much in the repeated experiments.     

The production of biodiesel from vegetable oils by ethanolysis: Current state and perspectives

At present, the homogeneous base-catalyzed methanolysis reaction of vegetable oils is a most often used process for the industrial biodiesel production. The toxicity of methanol, the risk of the methanol vapor explosion and the possibility of the ethanol production from biorenewable resources have contributed to the development of a vegetable oil ethanolysis process for the biodiesel production. In the reaction of vegetable oils and ethanol in the presence of a catalyst, completely agricultural fuels consisted of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) are obtained having physico-chemical properties similar to those of the appropriate methyl esters and diesel fuel. The ethanolysis reaction of various oily feedstocks has been widely studied to optimize the reaction conditions and to develop new catalytic systems and processes based on chemical and biological catalysts, as well as the development of non-catalytic processes. Most researches investigate the application of homogeneous base catalysts. This paper studies the review of vegetable oil ethanolysis investigations for the biodiesel production done so far. The goals of the paper are to present the development of FAEE synthesis by catalytic and non-catalytic processes, their advantages and disadvantages, the influence of some operating and reaction conditions on the process rate and ethyl esters yield, the kinetics models describing the ethanolysis process rate, the process optimization and the possibilities for improving the FAEE synthesis process.     

Solvent assisted decomposition of the tetrahedral intermediate of the transesterification reaction to biodiesel production. A density functional study

B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) calculations were employed to investigate the mechanism of the transesterification reaction between a model monoglyceride and the methoxide and ethoxide anions. The gas-phase results reveal that both reactions have essentially the same activation energy (5.9 kcal mol⁻¹) for decomposition of the key tetrahedral intermediate. Solvent effects were included by means of both microsolvation and the polarizable continuum solvation model CPCM. Both solvent approaches reduce the activation energy, however, only the microsolvation model is able to introduce some differentiation between methanol and ethanol, yielding a lower activation energy for decomposition of the tetrahedral intermediate in the reaction with methanol (1.1 kcal mol⁻¹) than for the corresponding reaction with ethanol (2.8 kcal mol⁻¹), in line with experimental evidences. Analysis of the individual energy components within the CPCM approach reveals that electrostatic interactions are the main contribution to stabilization of the transition state.     

Cerbera odollam (sea mango) oil as a promising non-edible feedstock for biodiesel production

This paper explores the feasibility of converting Cerbera odollam (sea mango) oil into biodiesel. The first part of this study focused on the extraction of oil from the seeds of C. odollam fruits, whereas the second part focused on the transesterification of the extracted oil to fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The transesterification reactions were carried out using three different catalysts; sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a homogenous catalyst, sulfated zirconia alumina and montmorillonite KSF as heterogeneous catalysts. The seeds were found to contain high percentage of oil up to 54% while the yield of FAME can reach up to 83.8% using sulfated zirconia catalyst.