Karen Ariza Alzate Alejandra Rendn Gutirrez Yulieth Bravo Caballero

BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FROM OILS AND FATS USED I. Introduction

Although the biodiesel is considered like a biofuel, it is expensive, for that reason have emerged the idea about find new forms or processes that minimize your cost, without forget take it in account the importance ( of the environment and its conservation) that this have with the environment and your conservation.

Thanks to this observation with respect to the high price for its production, other methods are seen for to elaborate the biodiesel. They are much more economics and helpful, not only to obtain the fuel but also for the environment. We are talking about the oils kitchen reuse, which are deposited after use it by the drain, causing a big large pollution to into the water, or they are reuse in the popular food centers bringing a great high health risk for the customers. The present work shows then, the use of the oils kitchen and also a form very effective form of synthesize them later for your its conversion in biodiesel. But what is that form? This question is answered in only one word: lipases. These enzymes, replacing chemical catalysts normally used and provide more simplicity to the process reducing your cost.

II.

Body

1. Conditioning the raw material

1.1. Process where is carried out the filtering

The used cooking oil will have a darker color and others likely have more pieces of your favorite food floating in the surface around. You'll have to get rid of this before you make your biodiesel. Filter the cooking oil to remove bits of food and other

particles before starting the process of biodiesel. Larger pieces can contain water and may damage the biodiesel reaction.

As you pour the used oil let it run through the filter completely. The filter does not need to be too fine. A paint strainer or window guard can remove particles that are large enough to affect the reaction of biodiesel. You will notice large chunks of fried food filling the filter. This filtering process can be quite fast, but you can filter the biodiesel sit anywhere for a couple of hours to a couple of days for the smaller particles to settle.

Smaller particles suspended should also be allowed to stand for not adhering to the heat and dirt of the processor.

Once that is complete, start transferring cooking oil used in the reaction tank to your processor.

1.2. Degummed process

This process involves the removal of various hydrosoluble compounds such as proteins, carbohydrates and phosphatides that may establish a separate because the oil immiscible phase.

Types degummed -flocculation by addition of water -Acid addition flocculation -heat treatment

With the degummed lecithin occurs, it can offer a crude oil (degummed to be stored or transported long term).

Water degumming or citric acid and phosphoric acid is the simplest way to reduce the amount of phospholipids in oils and phosphatides. The oil is heated to about 90 C, small amounts of water and acid is added to hydrate the gums, causing them insoluble in the oil. The amount of water used should be similar to the dry weight of the tires to be removed. After about 15 minutes the hydrated gums can be removed by decantation. Impurities can be removed by this method are hydratable phosphatides, triglyceride and other entrained water-soluble compounds such as sugars. Citric acid and / or phosphoric acid is used to improve the speed and

efficiency of the process and allow separation of the non hydratable gums. The acid can be dissolved in water to facilitate separation and the oil is then washed with water.

1.3. Dried process

Once washed biodiesel, it must be dried at 110 C with a soft brush to remove the remaining water with stirring. Water may be present dissolved in biodiesel or in the form of droplets on the surface. The quality standard allows maximum quantity of water to 500 ppm. However, the biodiesel must be kept dry. This is a challenge because many tanks containing water at the bottom due to condensation. The water suspended in the biodiesel is a problem because injection equipment corrodes parts of the system. Water can also contribute to the growth of microorganisms in fuel (diesel also happens), contributing to the increase in acidity and the formation of sludge that will clog fuel filters.

Contact with air (oxidative stability) and water (hydrolytic stability) are major factors affecting the stability of biodiesel. Oxidation is usually accompanied by an increase in acidity and in viscosity of the fuel, or mixtures thereof. Any biodiesel that will be stored for long periods should be treated with antioxidant additives. Similarly, in order to prevent oxidation of biodiesel, cargo trucks and storage tanks are given an injection of nitrogen to prevent degradation during transportation.

It was recently discovered a problem of excessive sedimentation in soy biodiesel and palm due to transportation and industrial storage tanks. These precipitates prevent the product meets the requirements pollution and filterability. These sediments are called esterilglucsidos.

2. Lipases like catalysts of fats

The enzymatic catalysis is characterized because the products are more pures, there isnt formation of soap, doesnt use chemical catalysts that affect the environment and the catalyst recovery is easy. The enzymes more used comes of the Pseudomonas cepacia bacterium and the fungus Rhizopus oryzae, due to its easy handling as well as its resistance to poor reaction conditions. Other fungi are Rhizomucor miehei, Candida antarctica and Candida rugosa.

2.1. Immobilized Lipases

The immobilized enzymes refers to the lipases attached or confined in solid particles for these to be reused again in new reactions and increasing its efficiency compared with its utilization in free form, so avoiding that your catalytic activity decreases. The reaction yield increases to the immobilize the enzyme due to the protection afforded by the support to the changes of the microenvironment of the reaction.

Among the most commonly used immobilization supports include: cross-linked polyurethane foams, celite, polypropylene supports, ion exchange resins, and solgel phyllosilicate.

3. Search of the optimal conditions and biodiesel production

The optimal conditions for carried out the biodiesel production, are very important in the determination of the reaction yield. These are the following:

Reaction temperature: This factor is of vital importance due to that the enzymes are denatured to high temperatures, so the range of temperature used is between 35 - 50 C, it being lowest that the used in inorganic catalysis. A high temperature evaporates the solvent and favors the hydrolysis reaction, however, if the temperature is increased within the range limited by the enzyme, the yield increases.

Molar ratio between alcohol and fats or oils: By the stoichiometry of the reaction, the molar ratio required alcohol:oil or fat is of 3:1, which must be maintained in enzyme catalysis , but as the alcoholysis is reversible , it is necessary to feed an excess of alcohol to promote the direct reaction. Is known that even with the stoichiometric amount of alcohol, the enzyme is inhibited although it is immobilized, then the alcohol is adding to various moments during the reaction for avoid its inhibition.

Type of alcohol: For each lipases is used an alcohol different, for example, M. Lipase miehei is more efficient with primary alcohols, while lipase C. antarctica it is with secondary alcohols. Also has been found that the soybean oils ethanolysis with P. cepacia immobilized has a yield of 65% and 47% with methanol. Similar results were obtained with soybean oil and

M. miehei, and sunflower oil and P. cepacia. This is because some lipases are most efficient with long chain alcohols that with short-chain alcohols.

Solvent: In the enzyme catalysis difficulties are present like the low solubility of the alcohol with other components of the reaction and the coating of the enzyme by glycerol. To avoid these drawbacks are used solvents such as hexane, tert-butanol, octane, acetone and petroleum ether. After to evaluate the yield to the transesterify sunflower oil with R. miehei using various types of solvents, it was found that by using immobilized enzymes highest yields are obtained with non-polar solvents, which is due to that solvents dont remove the essential water of enzymes, prolonging catalytic activity.

Biocatalyst concentration: A high amount of biocatalyst limits the yield, which is due to the viscosity of the medium increases, preventing contact between the components.

Mixing intensity: In the enzyme catalysis is not only important agitate the reaction at the beginning, but also during the course of it, because once fed the reagents, a system of three immiscible phases between the oil, methanol and the enzyme is formed. At the end of the reaction doesnt requires agitation because the goal is to destabilize the emulsion formed and give way to the separation of the phases (biodiesel / glycerol / enzyme). In this kind of catalysis is advisable a agitation speed between 150 - 200 rpm for doesnt affect the lipase structure. When the lipase is immobilized on a solid support, higher stirring speed is required to increase the mass transfer on the support and reduce the saturation of the pores of the carrier with the glycerin.

Content of free fatty acids (FFA) and humidity: In biological catalysis high contents of these parameters dont promote the saponification reaction due to the high specificity of the enzymes. With humidities of 0,5 and 10 % in the jatropha oils transesterification with the R. Oryzaes immobilized lipase were reached yields of the 50, 80 and 60% respectively. Similar results were reported when jatropha oil and soybean oil is transesterified with P. cepacia, indicating that the yield increases to a limit value when the water content increases. This increase is explained because some lipases require the water-oil interface to initiate their catalytic activity. However, an increase in water content over the limit value reduces the formation of ester due that the lipases in aqueous media promotes hydrolysis reaction.

4. Alcohols and some types of solvents used

For the biodiesel production may be used solvents such as methanol, which is a short-chain alcohol. Is an inorganic compound of a great importance because the hydroxyl group is easily converted into other functional group. Then when the methanol is oxidized produce formaldehyde and formic acid, when the methanol is reduced produce methane.

Ethyl alcohol or ethanol is a colorless liquid with a burning taste, flammable with a boiling point of 78 C, with a characteristic fruity odor. Its chemical structure is C2H5OH. This alcohol is a renewable and biodegradable heating fuel, which is soluble in water in any proportion. Is obtained in large amounts by fermentation of sugary liquids, based on the fermentation by the action of an enzyme produced by a group of fungi produce alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Under normal conditions it is a colorless liquid, low viscosity, smell and taste is pungent fruit, it is miscible with water and most organic solvents.

4.1. Short chain alcohols

Methanol is a short chain alcohol may result in loss of enzymes, due to their low oil solubility.

Usually an excess of alcohol is used to carry out the transesterification reaction. If added in high amounts can lead to loss of lipase activity by contacting of the enzyme with methanol or droplets that are insoluble in ethanol oils.

Proposals have been made to reduce the loss of lipase activity, such as the additions of secondary alcohols are those in which the hydroxyl group is either a secondary carbon.

4.2. Long chain alcohols

The long chain alcohols of more than three carbon atoms can be completely dissolved in the oil with stoichiometric reason.

Different proposals have been made to prevent loss of lipase activity. Methanol applying step which involves carrying out successive additions of methanol until

the stoichiometric amount needed is completed to complete the reaction. When using long chair alcohols instead of methanol or ethanol, allowed that the inhibitory effect decreases because lipases are completely soluble in the oil.

Using terbutanol as less hydrophobic solvent has permitted to better prevent loss of enzyme activity in subsequent reactions.

III.

Conclusion

The biodiesel production could be an interesting proposal for transport sector because the food companies discarded many liters of cooking oil per month.

With the use of lipases would have lower costs and more useful than chemical catalysts because it is more compatible with different raw material.

IV.

Bibliography

Rojas, A. F., Girn, E., & Torres, H. G. (2010). Operation variables in transesterification of vegetable oil: an enzymatic catalysis review. Ingeniera e investigacin, 30, 17 - 21. Recuperado el 10 de diciembre de 2013 de la base de datos Dialnet.