J. Amores

Bio: J. Amores is an academic researcher from Technical University of Madrid. The author has contributed to research in topics: Cetane index & Diesel fuel. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 431 citations.

Catalytic production of biodiesel from soy-bean oil, used frying oil and tallow

Abstract: Three fatty materials, soy-bean oil, used frying oil and tallow, were transformed into two different types of biodiesel, by transesterification and amidation reactions with methanol and diethylamine respectively. The ignition properties of these types of biodiesel were evaluated calculating the cetane index of the transesterification products, and the blending cetane number of the amide biodiesel blended with conventional diesel. Amide biodiesel enhances the ignition properties of the petrochemical diesel fuel, and it could account for the 5% market share that should be secured to biofuels by 2005.

Waste cooking oil – an economical source for biodiesel: a review

Abstract: Biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) is a nontoxic and biodegradable alternative fuel that is obtained from renewable sources. A major hurdle in the commercialization of biodiesel from virgin oil, in comparison to petroleum-based diesel fuel, is its cost of manufacturing, primarily the raw material cost. Used cooking oil is one of the economical sources for biodiesel production. However, the products formed during frying, such as free fatty acid and some polymerized triglycerides, can affect the transesterification reaction and the biodiesel properties. Apart from this phenomenon, the biodiesel obtained from waste cooking oil gives better engine performance and less emissions when tested on commercial diesel engines. The present paper attempts to review methods for the transesterification of waste cooking oil and the performance of biodiesel obtained from waste cooking oil in a commercial diesel engine. The paper also examines the basic chemistry involved during frying and the effects of the products formed in the frying process on biodiesel quality.

Microalgae as a sustainable energy source for biodiesel production: a review

Abstract: Of the three generations of biodiesel feedstocks described in this paper, food crops, non-food crops and microalgae-derived biodiesel, it was found that the third generation, microalgae, is the only source that can be sustainably developed in the future. Microalgae can be converted directly into energy, such as biodiesel, and therefore appear to be a promising source of renewable energy. This paper presents a comparison between the use of microalgae and palm oil as biodiesel feedstocks. It was found that microalgae are the more sustainable source of biodiesel in terms of food security and environmental impact compared to palm oil. The inefficiency and unsustainability of the use of food crops as a biodiesel source have increased interest in the development of microalgae species to be used as a renewable energy source. In this paper, the main advantages of using microalgae for biodiesel production are described in comparison with other available feedstocks, primarily palm oil.

Biodiesel production from jatropha oil (Jatropha curcas) with high free fatty acids: An optimized process

Abstract: Response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was used to optimize the three important reaction variables—methanol quantity (M), acid concentration (C) and reaction time (T) for reduction of free fatty acid (FFA) content of the oil to around 1% as compared to methanol quantity (M′) and reaction time (T′) and for carrying out transesterification of the pretreated oil. Using RSM, quadratic polynomial equations were obtained for predicting acid value and transesterification. Verification experiments confirmed the validity of both the predicted models. The optimum combination for reducing the FFA of Jatropha curcas oil from 14% to less than 1% was found to be 1.43% v/v H2SO4 acid catalyst, 0.28 v/v methanol-to-oil ratio and 88-min reaction time at a reaction temperature of 60 °C as compared to 0.16 v/v methanol-to-pretreated oil ratio and 24 min of reaction time at a reaction temperature of 60 °C for producing biodiesel. This process gave an average yield of biodiesel more than 99%. The fuel properties of jatropha biodiesel so obtained were found to be comparable to those of diesel and confirming to the American and European standards.