Production of liquid biofuels from renewable resources

Biodiesel is produced by the transesterification of oil triglycerides with methanol or ethanol, in the presence of a homogeneous or heterogeneous catalyst. This study aims to report the results of the transesterification of sunflower oil with methanol to produce biodiesel using CaO nanoparticles supported on NaX zeolite as catalyst. The effect of the CaO nanoparticles concentration on the NaX zeolite surface was studied in the range of 5−25 wt %. The transesterification reaction was carried out at reflux temperature of methanol, atmospheric pressure, a reaction time of 6 h, and with a 6:1 molar ratio of methanol to sunflower oil. Catalyst characterization was carried out by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was concluded that methyl esters content is highly influenced by basicity and that the best catalyst was the one holding 16 wt % CaO nanoparticles. The produced biodiesel was 93.5% methyl esters and was found to fulfill the specifications of Europ...

Preparation and Characterization of CaO Nanoparticles/NaX Zeolite Catalysts for the Transesterification of Sunflower Oil

Influence of fatty acid composition of raw materials on biodiesel properties.

Biodiesel is synthesized via the transesterification of lipid feedstocks with low molecular weight alcohols. Currently, alkaline bases are used to catalyze the reaction. These catalysts require anhydrous conditions and feedstocks with low levels of free fatty acids (FFAs). Inexpensive feedstocks containing high levels of FFAs cannot be directly used with the base catalysts currently employed. Strong liquid acid catalysts are less sensitive to FFAs and can simultaneously conduct esterification and transesterification. However, they are slower and necessitate higher reaction temperatures. Nonetheless, acid-catalyzed processes could produce biodiesel from low-cost feedstocks, lowering production costs. Better yet, if solid acid catalysts could replace liquid acids, the corrosion and environmental problems associated with them could be avoided and product purification protocols reduced, significantly simplifying biodiesel production and reducing cost. This article reviews some of the research related to biodi...

Synthesis of Biodiesel via Acid Catalysis

New opportunities for the conversion of glycerol into value-added chemicals have emerged in recent years as a result of glycerol's unique structure, properties, bioavailability, and renewability. Glycerol is currently produced in large amounts during the transesterification of fatty acids into biodiesel and as such represents a useful by-product. This paper provides a comprehensive review and critical analysis on the different reaction pathways for catalytic conversion of glycerol into commodity chemicals, including selective oxidation, selective hydrogenolysis, selective dehydration, pyrolysis and gasification, steam reforming, thermal reduction into syngas, selective transesterification, selective etherification, oligomerization and polymerization, and conversion of glycerol into glycerol carbonate.

Chemoselective catalytic conversion of glycerol as a biorenewable source to valuable commodity chemicals

Integrated biodiesel production: a comparison of different homogeneous catalysts systems.

Application of the factorial design of experiments and response surface methodology to optimize biodiesel production

A study was made of the kinetics of sunflower oil methanolysis. This reaction yields methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerol and consists of three consecutive reversible reactions. Diglycerides and ...

Gemma Vicente

Papers

Integrated biodiesel production: a comparison of different homogeneous catalysts systems.

Application of the factorial design of experiments and response surface methodology to optimize biodiesel production

Kinetics of Sunflower Oil Methanolysis

Biodiesel production from biomass of an oleaginous fungus

Optimisation of integrated biodiesel production. Part I. A study of the biodiesel purity and yield