Biodiesel production from pure plant-based oils is a well-established process, however the use of pure plant-based oils poses economic considerations and significant risks to food security. The major cost factor in the production of biodiesel is the cost of the raw material – catalyst and raw material costs account 70-88% of the overall costs. Furthermore, competition between the edible oil market and biodiesel market remains a global concern. Between 2004-2007 approximately 34% of edible oil was estimated for worldwide biodiesel production. In an effort to alleviate feed-stock challenges, the use of used waste cooking oils (which are up to three times less expensive than pure oils and are capable of producing around 50% of current biodiesel demand) as feedstock for biodiesel production has been extensively explored. Waste cooking oil differs chemically from their pure-counterparts as pure oils slowly and partially decompose into free fatty acids (FFAs) upon extended use which complicates biodiesel production. The presence of FFAs dramatically increase the production of soap when traditional alkali catalysts are used, decreasing the overall yield of biodiesel. The acid catalyzed transesterification of used cooking oil ‘tolerates’ the presence of FFAs, as both oil and FFAs are converted into biodiesel, however, the acid catalyzed conversion of FFAs is time consuming (often requiring greater than four hours to reach completion) and produces water as a byproduct which can dramatically decrease the overall yield of biodiesel. The authors present a facile and efficient procedure for the synthesis of biodiesel fuel from waste cooking oil using nano-reactors.<br/>

Ultrafast synthesis of biodiesel fuel from waste cooking oil using nano-reactors

2019 Spring National Meeting

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