A Review Article

OnBiodiesel production

Submitted to

The Department of BiotechnologyShreeM. & N.ViraniScience College

(Accredited at the “A” Level by NAAC&star college by DBT)Saurashtra University, Rajkot

Submitted by

GautamParmar

(B.Sc. Biotechnology- Sem: VI)

Supervised by

Shweta BhattAssistant Professor

Department of BiotechnologyShree M. & N. ViraniScienceCollege, Rajkot

SHREE M. & N. VIRANI SCIENCE COLLEGE, RAJKOT(ACCREDITED AT THE “A” LEVEL BY NAAC & STAR COLLEGE BY DBT)

DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

Virani/Biotech/2014 Exam Seat No.

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Parmar gautam has undertaken the Review Article entitled Biodiesel Production in Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology prescribed by Shree Manibhai Virani and Navalben Virani Science College affiliated to Saurashtra University, Rajkot for the academic year 2014.

Dr. Shivani Patel Head Signature of Guide Department of

Biotechnology Shree M. & N. Virani Science College

Rajkot- 360005. Examiners:

1. ___________________

2. ___________________

Date: Place: RAJKOT

Declaration

I Gautam parmar hereby declare that the review article entitled, “Biodiesel

Production” which is being submitted as a partial fulfillment of the degree of

Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology, is carried out by me. The information and

articles referred from authors, journals, web sources and library are duly

acknowledged.

I further declare that this review article written by me has not been previously submitted to this or any other University/Institute/College for any degree/diploma/certificate.

Bio diesel production Gautam parmar, Shweta Bhatt*

Dept. of Biotechnology, Shree M & N Virani Science College, Rajkot, Gujarat-360005gparmar183@gmail.com

Abstract The term biofuel is used here to mean any liquid fuel made from Plant material that can be used

as a substitute for petroleum-derived fuel. Biofuels can include relatively familiar ones, such as

ethanol made from sugar cane or diesel-like fuel made from soybean oil, to less familiar fuels

such as dimethyl ether (DME) or Fischer-Tropsch liquids (FTL) made from Lignocellulosic

biomass. Around 150 years ago the idea of using vegetable oil to produce bio-diesel was

invented and is considered as simple and effective way to produce bio-diesel. Biodiesel

production – Biodiesel production is based on trans-esterification of vegetable oils and fats

through the addition of methanol (or other alcohols) and a catalyst, giving glycerol as a co-

product. Feedstock includes rapeseeds, sunflower seeds, soy seeds and palm oil seeds from

which the oil is extracted chemically or mechanically. Advanced processes include there

placement of methanol of fossil origin, by bioethanol to produce fatty acid ethyl ester instead of

fatty acid methyl ether (the latter being the traditional biodiesel). In order to expand the relatively

small resource base of biodiesel, new processes have been developed to use Recycled cooking

oils and animal fats though these are limited in volume. Hydrogenation of oils and fats is a new

process that is entering the market. It can produce a biodiesel that can be blended with fossil

diesel up to50% without any engine modifications. Synthetic biofuel production via biomass

gasification and Catalytic conversion to liquid using Fischer-Tropsch process (biomass

conversion to liquids BTL) offers a variety of potential biofuel production processes that may be

suited to current and future engine technologies.

Keywords- DME (dimethyl ether, BTL (biomass conversion to liquids), Hydrogenation, FTL (Fischer-Tropsch liquids), Catalytic.

What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is simply a liquid fuel derived

from vegetable oils and fats, which has

similar combustion properties to regular

petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel can be

produced from straight vegetable oil, animal

oil/fats, tallow and waste cooking oil.

Biodiesel is biodegradable, nontoxic, and

has significantly fewer emissions than

petroleum-based diesel when burned.

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel similar to

conventional or “fossil/petroleum” diesel.

The process used to convert these oils to

biodiesel is called transesterification. The

largest possible source of suitable oil comes

from oil crops such as soybean, rapeseed,

corn, and sunflower. At present, oil straight

from the agricultural industry represents the

greatest potential source, but it is not being

used for commercial production of biodiesel

simply because the raw oil is too expensive.

After the cost of converting it to biodiesel

has been added, the price is too high to

compete with petroleum diesel. Waste

vegetable oil can often be obtained for free

or already treated for a small price. One

disadvantage of using waste oil is it must be

treated to remove impurities like free fatty

acids (FFA) before conversion to biodieselis

possible

History:

The concept of using vegetable oil as an

engine fuel likely dates to when Rudolf

Diesel (1858-1913) developed the first

engine to run on peanut oil, as he

demonstrated at the World Exhibition in

Paris in 1900.

Rudolf Diesel

Rudolf Diesel firmly believed the utilization

of a biomass fuel to be the real future of his

engine. He wanted to provide farmers the

opportunity to produce their own fuel. In

1911, he said, "The diesel engine can be fed

with vegetable oils and would help

considerably in the development of

agriculture of the countries which use it."

"The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels

may seem insignificant today. But such

oilsmay become, in the course of time, as

important as the petroleum and coal tar

products of the present time."Rudolf Diesel,

1912 Unfortunately, Rudolf Diesel died in

1913 before his vision of a vegetable oil

powered engine was fully realized. At the

time of Diesel’s death, the petroleum

industry was rapidly developing and

producing a cheap by-product called "diesel

fuel" that would power a modified "diesel

engine". Thus, clean vegetable oil was

forgotten as a renewable source of power.

Modern diesels are now designed to run on a

less viscous (easier flowing) fuel than

straight vegetable oil, but, in times of fuel

shortages, cars and trucks were successfully

run on preheated peanut oil and animal fat.

In the mid 1970’s, fuel shortages spurred

interest in diversifying fuel resources, and

thus biodiesel as fatty esters was developed

as an alternative to petroleum diesel. Later,

in the 1990’s, interest was rising due to the

large pollution reduction benefits coming

from the use of biodiesel. Today's diesel

engines require a clean-burning, stable fuel

that will operate under a variety of

conditions. The resurgence of biodiesel has

been affected by legislation and regulations

in all countries. Many of the regulation and

mandates center around promoting a

country’s agricultural economy, national

security, and reducing climate

pollution/change.

Making Biodiesel: Transesterification

Transesterification of natural glycerides with methanol to methylesters is a technically important reaction that has been

used extensively in the soap and detergent manufacturing industry worldwide for many years. Almost

all biodiesel is produced in a similar

chemical process using base catalyzed

transesterification as it is the most

economical process, requiring only low

temperatures and pressures while producing

a 98% conversion yield. The

transesterification process is the reaction of

a triglyceride (fat/oil) with an alcohol to

form esters and glycerol. A triglyceride has

a glycerin molecule as its base with three

long chain fatty acids attached. The

characteristics of the fat are determined by

the nature of the fatty acids attached to the

glycerin. The nature of the fatty acids can,

in turn, affect the characteristics of the

biodiesel.

During the esterification process, the

triglyceride is reacted with alcohol in the

presence of a catalyst, usually a strong

alkaline like sodium hydroxide. The alcohol

reacts with the fatty acids to form the mono-

alkyl ester, or biodiesel, and crude glycerol.

In most production, methanol or ethanol is

the alcohol used (methanol produces methyl

esters, ethanol produces ethyl esters) and is

base catalyzed by either potassium or

sodium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide has

been found more suitable for the ethyl ester

biodiesel production, but either base can be

used for methyl ester production.

The figure below shows the chemical

process for methyl ester biodiesel. The

reaction between the fat or oil and the

alcohol is a reversible reaction, so the

alcohol must be added in excess to drive the

reaction towards the right and ensure

complete conversion.

The products of the reaction are the

biodiesel itself and glycerol. A successful

transesterification reaction is signified by

the separation of the methyl ester (biodiesel)

and glycerol layers after the reaction time.

The heavier co-product, glycerol, settles out

and may be sold as is or purified for use in

other industries, e.g. pharmaceutical,

cosmetics, and detergents.

Feedstock material-

Chinese tallow tree, Seashore Mallow,

Microalgae, Jatropha, peanuts, Sunflower,

rapeseed, Corn, Soybean, Camelina, Canola,

& Brassica Juncea are some the sources for

biodiesel production. They are mainly used

for production of biodiesel. Along with oil it

requires a catalyst to speed up the reaction

and here we use either NaOH or KOH and

last but not the least thing which encourages

the process to become productive is use of

alcohol i.e. either ethanol or methanol.

Characteristic feature-

*Non toxic (its toxicity is less than 10%

of than for ordinary table salt).

*Biodegradable (degrades in about the

same time as sugar).

*Essentially free of sulfur and

carcinogenic benzene.

*Derived from renewable, recycled

resources, which don’t add

significantly to the greenhouse gas

accumulation associated with

petroleum derived fuels.

*100% reduction of net carbon

dioxide.

*100% reduction of sulfur dioxide.

*10-50% reduction of carbon

monoxide.

Biodiesel has a viscosity similar to petroleum

diesel and can be used as an additive in

formulations of diesel to increase the lubricity.

Biodiesel can be used in pure form (B100) or

may be blended with petroleum diesel at any

concentration in most modern diesel engines.

Biodiesel will degrade natural rubber gaskets and

hoses in vehicles (mostly found in vehicles

manufactured before 1992), although these tend

to wear out naturally and most likely will have

already been replaced with Viton type seals and

hoses which are nonreactive to biodiesel.

Biodiesel's higher lubricity index compared to

petroleum diesel is an advantage and can

contribute to longer fuel injector life.

Biodiesel is a better solvent than petroleum

diesel and has been known to break down

deposits of residue in the fuel lines of vehicles

that have previously been run on petroleum

diesel. Fuel filters may become clogged with

particulates if a quick transition to pure

biodiesel is made, as biodiesel “cleans” the

engine in the process. It is, therefore,

recommended to change the fuel filter within

600-800 miles after first switching to a biodiesel

blend.

Biodiesel's commercial fuel quality is

measured by the ASTM standard designated D

6751. The standards ensure that biodiesel is pure

and the following important factors in the fuel

production process are satisfied:

Complete reaction

Removal of glycerin

Removal of catalyst

Removal of alcohol

Absence of free fatty acids

Low sulfur content

Benefits/Advantages of Biodiesel:

1-Biodiesel is biorenewable. Feedstocks can be

renewed one or more times in a generation.

2-Biodiesel is carbon neutral. Plants use the

same amount of CO2 to make the oil that is

released when the fuel is burned.

3-Biodiesel is rapidly biodegradable and

completely nontoxic, meaning spillages represent

far less risk than petroleum diesel spillages.

4-Biodiesel has a higher flash point than

petroleum diesel, making it safer in the event of a

crash.

5-Biodiesel can be made from recycled vegetable

and animal oils or fats.

6-Biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable. It

reduces the emission of harmful pollutants,

mainly particulates, from diesel engines (80%

less CO2 emissions, 100% less sulfur dioxide).

But emissions of nitrogen oxide, the precursor of

ozone, are increased.

7-Biodiesel has a high cetane number of above

100, compared to only 40 for petroleum diesel

fuel. The cetane number is a measure of a fuel's

ignition quality. The high cetane numbers of

biodiesel contribute to easy cold starting and low

idle noise.

8-The use of biodiesel can extend the life of

diesel engines because it is more lubricating

and, furthermore, power output is relatively

unaffected by biodiesel.

9-Biodiesel replaces the exhaust odor of

petroleum diesel with a more pleasant smell of

popcorn or French fries

Opportunities and Outlook

The initial results from the study Biodiesel

2020: A Global Market Survey find that new

developers, farmers, feedstock providers,

producers, and investors who can meet growing

demands for supply are expected to benefit from

this emerging market. In addition, this study

finds key advantages in the future will be

available to producers and investors to supply

future needs with new and improved

technologies; alternative feed stocks with higher

yields such as jatropha and algae biodiesel;

production scalability and flexibility options;

supply chain, distribution and co-location

strategies; innovative risk management

strategies; and industry-friendly government

targets and tax incentives committed to

promoting the awareness and growth of the

industry.

The global markets for biodiesel are entering a

period of rapid, transitional growth, creating

both uncertainty and opportunity. The first

generation biodiesel markets in Europe and the

US have reached impressive biodiesel

production capacity levels, but remain

constrained by feedstock availability. In the

BRIC nations of Brazil, India and China, key

government initiatives are spawning hundreds

of new opportunities for feedstock development,

biodiesel production, and expor Biodiesel

feedstock markets world-wide are in transition

from increasingly expensive first generation

feedstocks soy, rapeseed and palm oil to

alternative, lower cost, non-food feedstocks.  As

a result, a surge in demand for alternative

feedstocks is driving new growth opportunities

in the sector.

Who are using Biodiesel ? Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine .

Here are some maui biodiesel pioneers

*Pacific biodiesel – 6 trucks

*Shaun stenshol/pam wolf – 2000 volkswagen

golf TDI (over 70,000 miles)

*Maui Recycling Service – 5 recycling

trucks(combined, over 165000 miles)

*Paul Brandt – 1981 Volkswagon truck(over

50,000 miles)

* Woody Harrelson – 2000 Volkswagon Beetle

TDI

* Willie Nelson – Volkswagon jetta TDI, 2004

Mercedes, Ford Excursion

* Maui Country – 20% blend (B20) in most

Country vehicles

*Maui EKO Compost – tractors

* Pukalani golf course –well pump

*Maui Community College – generator Several

condominiums use biodiesel in generators.

Biodiesel is extensively used in Europe, especially

in Germany and France.

Conclusion-

As a substitute for fast depleting fossil fuel.

Biodiesel had come to stay. In future, it should

also serve to reduce and maintain the price of

automobile fuel. The under exploited and

unexploited vegetable oils are good sources of

biofuels. Our country is endowed with many such

plants. Research is being carried out now to

convert vegetable oils into biodiesel through

biotechnological processes.

A national mission on biodiesel has already

been proposed by the committee comprising six

micro missions covering all aspects of

plantation, procurement of seed, extraction of

oil, transesterification, blending & trade, and

research and development. Diesel forms nearly

40% of the energy consumed in the form of

hydrocarbon fuels, and its demand is estimated

at 40 million tons.

Today 21 countries worldwide produce

Biodiesel. By developing methods to use cheap

and low quality lipids as feed stocks, it is hoped

that a cheaper biodiesel can be produced, thus

competing economically with petroleum

resources

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