Biofuels from Beech Wood via Thermochemicals Conversion Methods

In this study characterization of Oriental beech wood (Fagus orientalis) with Turkish origin was investigated with aspect of structural, chemical, and thermochemical conversional properties. Liquefaction, supercritical fluid extraction, and pyrolysis of the samples were studied to obtain liquid fuel oils and chemicals. Beech wood was partly converted to liquefaction products in glycerol. The conversion products were 19.4, 32.3, and 64.6% by weight at 523, 543, and 563 K, respectively. The liquefaction yield sharply increased with increasing the temperature near critical temperature and after that. Ethanol is the best solvent for supercritical fluid extraction at lower temperatures. In the pyrolysis, increases of liquid yields are considerably sharp for all of the samples with increasing of pyrolysis temperature from 695 to 720 K. The highest increase of liquid yield was obtained from the beech wood sample with +0.063 mm particle size in the pyrolysis conditions. The maximum liquid yield was 36.3% at 720 K

Fuels for petroleum, coal and biomass

Petroleum, coal and biomass can be converted into useful liquid, gaseous and solid fuels via chemical, thermochemical and biochemicals methods. Thermochemical conversion processes, including mainly pyrolysis and liquefaction, were applied non-catalytically and catalytically to obtain the maximum fuels from biomass wastes

Methylation of wood fatty and resin acids for production of biodiesel

The purpose of the present paper is to evaluate the potentiality of the wood oil of Oriental spruce (Spruce orientalis) for biodiesel production. Two methods have been applied for obtained wood oil with and without solvent such as separation of crude tall oil from sulfate soaps by Kraft pulping process. Production of biodiesel from wood oil follows two steps, first extraction of oil using a solvent (acetone) and then base catalyzed (KOH) or non-catalytic supercritical methanol transesterification. This paper studied the effect of temperature on transesterification of wood oil to find the optimum temperature of maximum biodiesel yield. Transesterification of the wood oils were performed in a 100-mL cylindrical autoclave using supercritical methanol. In a typical run, the autoclave was charged with a given amount of the wood oil (20–25 g) and alcohol (20–50 g) with changed molar ratios at 500, 525, 550 and 575 K. The yield of the biodiesel produced under optimal condition is 96–98%

Competitive liquid biofuels from biomass

The cost of biodiesels varies depending on the feedstock, geographic area, methanol prices, and seasonal variability in crop production. Most of the biodiesel is currently made from soybean, rapeseed, and palm oils. However, there are large amounts of low-cost oils and fats (e.g., restaurant waste, beef tallow, pork lard, and yellow grease) that could be converted to biodiesel. The crop types, agricultural practices, land and labor costs, plant sizes, processing technologies and government policies in different regions considerably vary ethanol production costs and prices by region. The cost of producing bioethanol in a dry mill plant currently totals US$1.65/galon. The largest ethanol cost component is the plant feedstock. It has been showed that plant size has a major effect on cost. The plant size can reduce operating costs by 15-20$0.02-$0.03 per liter. Thus, a large plant with production costs of$0.29 per liter may be saving $0.05-$0.06 per liter over a smaller plant. Viscosity of biofuel and biocrude varies greatly with the liquefaction conditions. The high and increasing viscosity indicates a poor flow characteristic and stability. The increase in the viscosity can be attributed to the continuing polymerization and oxidative coupling reactions in the biocrude upon storage. Although stability of biocrude is typically better than that of bio-oil, the viscosity of biocrude is much higher. The bio-oil produced by flash pyrolysis is a highly oxygenated mixture of carbonyls, carboxyls, phenolics and water. It is acidic and potentially corrosive. Bio-oil can also be potentially upgraded by hydrodeoxygenation. The liquid, termed biocrude, contains 60% carbon, 10-20 wt.% oxygen and 30-36 MJ/kg heating value as opposed to <1 wt.% and 42-46 MJ/kg for petroleum. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Biorefinery Technologies for Biomass Upgrading

Biomass can be converted into useful bio-fuels and bio-chemicals via biomass upgrading and biorefinery technologies. Biomass upgrading processesinclude fractionation, liquefaction, pyrolysis, hydrolysis, fermentation, and gasification. The benefits of an integrated biorefinery are numerous because of the diversification in feedstocks and products. There are currently several different levels of integration in biorefineries, which adds to their sustainability, both economically and environmentally. Economic and production advantages increase with the level of integration in the biorefinery

Biodiesel from oilgae, biofixation of carbon dioxide by microalgae: A solution to pollution problems

Algae containing 30-75% of lipid by dry basis can be called oilgae. All microalgac species produce lipid however some species can contain up to 70% of their dry weight. Microalgae appear to be the only source of renewable biodiesel that is capable of meeting the global demand for transport fuels. Biodiesel production by using oilgac is an alternative process in contrast to other procedures not only being degradable and non-toxic but also as a solution to global warming via reducing emission gases. Algae-based technologies could provide a key tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants and other carbon intensive industrial processes. Because algae are rich in oil and can grow in a wide range of conditions, many companies are betting that it can create fuels or other chemicals cheaper than existing feedstocks. The aim of microalgae biofixation of CO2 is to operate large-scale systems that are able to convert a significant fraction of the CO2 outputs from a power plant into biofuels. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The Role of Turkey Within Petroleum Between the Caspian Sea Basin and the Middle East

Petroleum plays a very important role in foreign policies and their international relations of Caspian and Middle East countries. The Middle East itself produces 32% of the world’s oil, but even more impressive is they have 64% of the total proven oil reserves in the world. Turkey is at the crossroads of Europe and several volatile, strategically, and economically important regions, including the Caspian Sea basin region, the Middle East, and Russia. Its location on two continents plays a central part in Turkish history and gives the country a major advantage in serving the markets of Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa. Turkey’s geopolitical locale made possible an important role in regional politics, while domestic energy needs required it to do so

Future Fuels for Internal Combustion Engines

Today the world is facing three critical problems: (1) high fuel prices, (2) climatic changes, and (3) air pollution. Experts suggest that current oil and gas reserves would suffice to last only a few more decades. Biorenewable liquids are the main substitutes to petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuel. These fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels; however, some still include a small amount of petroleum in the mixture. There are four alternate fuels that can be relatively easily used in conventional diesel engines: vegetable oil, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch liquids, and dimethyl ether. The main alternate fuels include (m)ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, and electricity for operating gasoline-type vehicles. Bioethanol is an alternate fuel that is produced almost entirely from food crops. The primary feedstock of this fuel is corn. Biohydrogen is an environmentally friendly alternative automotive fuel that can be used in an internal combustion engine

Biodiesel from Bay Laurel Oil via Compressed Methanol Transesterification

In the present work, oils from the leaves and fruits of bay laurel, Laurus nobilis L (Lauraceae) were converted into fatty acid methyl esters or biodiesel by transesterification reaction in supercritical methanol without using the catalyst. Experiments have been carried out in a pressure-proof reaction vessel (autoclave) preheated at 493, 523, and 593 K, and with molar ratios of 1:6–1:41 of the bay laurel oil to methanol. The most important variables affecting the methyl ester yield during transesterification reaction are the molar ratio of alcohol to vegetable oil and reaction temperature. The yield of alkyl ester increased with increasing the molar ratio of oil to alcohol in the supercritical methanol transesterification method. Average oil content of the leaves and fruits of bay laurel samples used in the experiments were 7 and 20% by weight, respectively. Dominant fatty acid contents of bay laurel leaves and bay laurel fruits were lauric (26.1 and 18.3%), palmitic (25.6 and 21.8%), and oleic (10.6 and 30.9%), respectively

Social, economic, environmental and policy aspects of biofuels

Bioethanol and biodiesel are two alternative fuels promoted with potential to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports. Biofuels production costs can vary widely by feedstock, conversion process, scale of production and region. The major economic factor to consider for input costs of biodiesel production is the feedstock, which is about 75-80% of the total operating cost. Other important costs are labor, methanol and catalyst, which must be added to the feedstock. The biofuel policy aims to promote the use in transport of fuels made from biomass, as well as other renewable fuels. Biofuels provide the prospect of new economic opportunities for people in rural areas in oil importer and developing countries. Policy drivers for renewable liquid biofuels have attracted particularly high levels of assistance in some countries given their promise of benefits in several areas of interest to governments, including agricultural production, greenhouse gas emissions, energy security, trade balances, rural development and economic opportunities for developing countries