Development of advanced biodiesel fuel production process

Abstract

Biodiesel fuel (BDF) is a clean burning alternative to petroleum diesel, and is produced from renewable resources such as vegetable oils and animal fats. BDF is nontoxic, biodegradable, and reduces the emissions of unburned hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and sulfur oxides compared to petroleum diesel. Damage to the global environment and the increase of crude oil prices have emphasized research on BDF production in recent years. This review describes an overview of our work on BDF production methods, which include (i) homogeneous synthesis of BDF at room temperature in the presence of cosolvents such as dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, t-butyl methyl ether, and tetrahydrofuran; (ii) rapid synthesis of BDF using a microtube reactor; (iii) synthesis of BDF using an electrolysis method; (iv) development of solid alkaline catalysts for BDF production from waste cooking oil; and (v) simultaneous BDF production and separation in a trickle bed reactor. The advantages and future challenges in our methods for BDF production are presented and discussed.