Biodiesel is composed of monoalkyl esters
of long-chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats.
It does not contain any petroleum products, but it may
be blended with conventional diesel to
provide a biofuel that can replace petroleum...
More
Biodiesel is composed of monoalkyl esters
of long-chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats.
It does not contain any petroleum products, but it may
be blended with conventional diesel to
provide a biofuel that can replace petroleum diesel.
The present production of biodiesel
is based mainly on plant oils.
Almost all
current technologies of conversion of these
oils into fuels for diesel engines require
high-quality raw materials and a high content of triglycerides.
The traditional method
of synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters is
based on the alkaline-catalyzed transesterification reaction, which has many disadvantages.
For example, the reaction is
slow and does not proceed to completion.
Although waste frying oils can be used,
their conversion is complicated if the oils
contain large amounts of free fatty acids
(FFA) that neutralize the alkaline solution
and produce soaps.
These soaps can prevent separation of the biodiesel from the
glycerin fraction.
In the
Less
