Biodiesel Production

By
Jefy Jean.A
H5
50921

Source:www.debate.org
Biodiesel- A Fuel for Future

 A vegetable oil or animal fat based Diesel fuel consisting

of long chain alkyl esters.
 Produced by transesterification reaction.
 Lipids + Alcohol  Fatty Acid Esters
 Used in pure and blended form.
 B factor states amount of blended biodiesel.
 Used in conventional diesel engines, generators, as
heating oils and cleaning oilspills.
 High quality- ASTM D6751
Biodiesel v/s Fossil fuels

1. Biodiesel has similar combustion properties to diesel

2. Energy density closer to regular diesel.
3. Produces 3 times more energy than it takes to grow
4. Natural and Renewable Raw Materials.
5. Biodegradable and non toxic
6. Reduce emission of CO2 SO2 CO, hydrocarbons, particulate matter.
7. Ester compounds promote cleaner burning.
8. Lower mutagenic potential.
Source:www.res
earchgate.net
Feedstock

Oil Crops & Trees Animal fat

 Soybean  Lard
 Rapseed  Tallow
 Camelina  Grease
 Sunflower  Used cooking oil
 Jatropha  Algae
 Mahua  Poultry fat
 Palm oil

Source:www.sli
deshare.net
Transesterification Reaction
 Alcohol, catalyst and oil combined in a CSTR or PFR.
 Agitated for approx 1 hour at 333K
 2 step reaction
 80% alcohol and catalyst added to oil in 1st stage CSTR - Glycerol removal
 Remaining 20%alcohol and catalyst added in 2nd CSTR.
 Ensures complete reaction with lesser alcohol.
 Catalysts- Lipase catalyst, Acid Catalysts, Alkali Catalysts ( NaOH, KOH)

Source:www.e-
education.psu.edu
Source:www.researchgate.net
Source:
articles.extension.org
Source:www.researchgate.net
Glycerol Separation

 Due to low solubility of glycerol separation occurs quickly in a settling tank or

centrifuge.
 Impure glycerol stream= 50% glycerol+ excess methanol+ catalyst +soap
 Step 1- Acidulation: Acid + Soap  Fatty acid + Salts
 Fatty acids rise to top and salts precipitate out
 Step 2- Vacuum flash process to remove excess methanol
 Excess methanol removed only after glycerol and ester separation since
reaction is reversible.
 Step 3- Glycerol Refining
 85% glycerine –> 99.5 – 99.7% purity by vacuum distillation or ion exchange. Source:https://articl
es.extension.org/pag
es/27137/biodiesel-
production-
principles-and-
Methanol Seperation

 Methyl Esters pass through a methanol stripper usually a vacuum flash

process or falling film evaporator
 Acid added to neutralize excess catalyst and soaps
 Methanol separated tend to collect water.
 This water removed in a distillation column before recycling back methanol.
 If alcohol forms azeotrope with water molecular sieve is used.
Washing biodiesel
 Water washing to remove remaining catalyst, soaps, salts, methanol or free
glycerol
 Neutralization before washing reduces water required and potential for
emulsion formation.
 Remaining water removed by vacuum flash process.
 Waterless method- using ion exchange resins- styrene plastic beads.

Source:http://education.kulichki.
net/bp/biodieselplan.html
Handling free fatty acids

 Used cooking oil – 2 to 7% FFAs, Animal fat- 5 to 30% FFAs

 When catalyst is added saponification takes place.

 If FFA level > 5% soap inhubits ester separation and forms emulsions.
 Acid catalyst used to esterify FFAs into methyl esters.

Source:ijs.academicdire
ct.org
Reference

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel accessed on 10/09/2018.

B. K. Barnwal and M. P. Sharma, “Prospects of Biodiesel

Production from Vegetable Oils in India,” Renewable and
Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol. 9, No. 4, 2005, pp. 363-
378

U. Rashid and F. Anwar “Production of Biodiesel through

Optimized Alkaline-Catalyzed Transesterification of
Rape-seed Oil,” Fuel, Vol. 87, No. 3, 2008, pp. 265-273.

http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/190/pure-
and-simple