Simultaneous Extraction of Rapeseed Oil and Enzymatic Transesterification with Butanol in the Mineral Diesel Medium

Increasing environmental pollution is driving an increase in the production and use of biofuels. The cost price of biodiesel could be reduced by using low-quality oilseeds unfit for human consumption and by applying the simultaneous oil extraction and transesterification process, avoiding the oil pressure stage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the enzymatic biofuel production process (in situ) by using rapeseed with high oil acidity for simultaneous oil extraction and transesterification with a mixture of butanol and mineral diesel fuel. The investigation of the in situ process was performed using a mixture of butanol and mineral diesel and the most effective biocatalyst Lipozyme TL IM was selected. The novelty of this paper consists of the fact that mineral diesel was used as the oil extractant, and the amount chosen was such that, at the end, a mixture of fuel with a ratio 9:1 of mineral diesel to biodiesel was be produced. The experiments were carried out using ground rapeseeds under laboratory conditions. The efficiency of oil extraction was investigated by the FTIR spectrometry method, and the efficiency of transesterification was determined by the gas chromatography method. It was found that the optimal reaction duration was 7 h, reaction temperature was 40 °C, and lipase content was 6% (from the oil content in rapeseed). An oil extraction efficiency of 99.92 ± 0.04 (w/w) was observed at these conditions. A transesterification degree of 99.08 ± 0.08% (w/w) met with the requirements of the standards for biodiesel fuel. The physical and chemical properties of the produced fuel mixture met the requirements of the standards for mineral diesel and biodiesel; therefore, it can be used in diesel engines

Application of Microalgae Biomass for Biodiesel Fuel Production

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the use of new types of cheaper raw materials for biodiesel production. There are many prospects for microalgae, which do not compete for land with conventional biodiesel raw materials, are characterized by rapid reproduction and high biomass accumulation, and under certain conditions, some are able to accumulate a large amount of oil. A number of studies have been conducted on the extraction of oil from microalgae cells and transesterification with various acyl receptors. This paper provides an overview of the results of research on microalgal biomass preparation and oil extraction. Indicators of the quality of the oil are presented and its suitability for biodiesel synthesis is analyzed. The homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts used for oil transesterification are described and the optimal conditions of the process when using various alcohols as acyl receptors are presented. Much attention is paid to the parameters affecting the transesterification efficiency and biodiesel yield. The physical and chemical, and operational and environmental properties of biodiesel obtained from algae oil are analyzed. The evaluation of the economic efficiency of biodiesel synthesis is also presented

Synthesis of Biodiesel by Interesterification of Triglycerides with Methyl Formate

In the conventional synthesis of biodiesel, not only fatty acid esters (biodiesel) are formed, but also the by-product is the glycerol phase, which amounts to about 10 wt.%. Recently, the studies on the interesterification of oil using carboxylate esters have been launched. In this case, no glycerol is formed, and esters of glycerol and short-chain organic acids soluble in biodiesel are produced. The biodiesel yield is increased, and the biodiesel production process is more economically viable. The process of interesterification with methyl formate yields a mixture of biodiesel and triformylglycerol, which is not inferior in quality to biodiesel, but also has better low-temperature properties. The paper analyzes the application of chemical and enzymatic catalysis methods for the interesterification of triglycerides with methyl formate. The influence of catalyst amount, reagent molar ratio, temperature, and process time on the product yield is presented. The quality indicators of the obtained fuel and their compliance with the requirements of the biodiesel fuel standard are discussed

Synthesis of Biodiesel by Interesterification of Triglycerides with Methyl Formate

In the conventional synthesis of biodiesel, not only fatty acid esters (biodiesel) are formed, but also the by-product is the glycerol phase, which amounts to about 10 wt.%. Recently, the studies on the interesterification of oil using carboxylate esters have been launched. In this case, no glycerol is formed, and esters of glycerol and short-chain organic acids soluble in biodiesel are produced. The biodiesel yield is increased, and the biodiesel production process is more economically viable. The process of interesterification with methyl formate yields a mixture of biodiesel and triformylglycerol, which is not inferior in quality to biodiesel, but also has better low-temperature properties. The paper analyzes the application of chemical and enzymatic catalysis methods for the interesterification of triglycerides with methyl formate. The influence of catalyst amount, reagent molar ratio, temperature, and process time on the product yield is presented. The quality indicators of the obtained fuel and their compliance with the requirements of the biodiesel fuel standard are discussed

Application of Liquid Waste from Biogas Production for Microalgae <i>Chlorella</i> sp. Cultivation

Microalgae biomass is a viable feedstock for a wide range of industries. Recently, there has also been interest in the ability of microalgae biomass applications for biofuel production. In the meantime, the cultivation of microalgae biomass requires high energy costs, and the application of microalgae for technical purposes is still problematic. A significant part of the cost of biomass arises from the nutrients used for cultivation. Chemical compounds included in the microalgae cultivation media can be replaced by suitable wastes containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and other elements. This could reduce the microalgae biomass cultivation price and allow cheaper biomass to be used for biofuel production. The aim of this work was to comprehensively investigate and optimize the growth process of microalgae using liquid waste (liquid waste after biogas production from sewage sludge and distillers’ grain) as a source of nitrogen and phosphorus, and technical glycerol as a carbon source. It was found that higher levels of waste in the cultivation media were found to inhibit the accumulation of microalgal biomass, with the optimum level corresponding to a nitrogen concentration of 0.08 g/L. The influence of technical glycerol from biodiesel production on the yield of microalgal biomass was investigated, and it was found that the addition of 6% glycerol allows an increase in the concentration of microalgal biomass in the cultivation media, from 18.1 to 20.6%

Effectiveness of Eggshells as Natural Heterogeneous Catalysts for Transesterification of Rapeseed Oil with Methanol

Heterogeneous catalysis has an advantage of easy separation of the catalyst after biodiesel is produced. CaO is known to be an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production. Taking into account that CaO is a key component of eggshells, the effectiveness of eggshells as a heterogeneous catalyst for rapeseed oil transesterification with methanol was investigated and optimal conditions of biodiesel production were determined applying RSM methodology. The influence of three independent variables on ester content was analyzed and a quadratic model was created. It was determined that this model is statistically significant. The optimum transesterification conditions when eggshells are used as a heterogeneous catalyst, and the process temperature of 64 &deg;C, were determined as: the methanol-to-oil molar ratio 10.93:1; the catalyst amount 6.80 wt%; the reaction duration 9.48 h. The ester yield of 97.79 wt% was obtained under these conditions

Effectiveness of Eggshells as Natural Heterogeneous Catalysts for Transesterification of Rapeseed Oil with Methanol

Heterogeneous catalysis has an advantage of easy separation of the catalyst after biodiesel is produced. CaO is known to be an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production. Taking into account that CaO is a key component of eggshells, the effectiveness of eggshells as a heterogeneous catalyst for rapeseed oil transesterification with methanol was investigated and optimal conditions of biodiesel production were determined applying RSM methodology. The influence of three independent variables on ester content was analyzed and a quadratic model was created. It was determined that this model is statistically significant. The optimum transesterification conditions when eggshells are used as a heterogeneous catalyst, and the process temperature of 64 °C, were determined as: the methanol-to-oil molar ratio 10.93:1; the catalyst amount 6.80 wt%; the reaction duration 9.48 h. The ester yield of 97.79 wt% was obtained under these conditions

INTERESTERIFICATION OF RAPESEED OIL WITH METHYL FORMATE FOR PRODUCTION OF INNOVATIVE BIODIESEL FUEL

During the production of biodiesel, a by-product - the glycerol phase is formed (about 10% of the obtained biodiesel). The interesterification of vegetable oil using carboxylate esters of low molecular weight does not produce glycerol, instead its compounds (mono-, di- and triformyl glycerides) are obtained in a mixture with fatty acid alkyl esters (conventional biodiesel). Such a product can be used as fuel for diesel engines. The aim of the work was to investigate the possibilities of application of methyl formate in the biotechnological production of biodiesel. The industrial enzyme preparation Lipozyme TL IM was used as a catalyst for interesterification. The influence of the amount of catalyst, the molar ratio of methyl formate to oil and the duration of the process on the yield of biodiesel was evaluated. The highest yield of rapeseed oil methyl esters was obtained under the following conditions: 14-15% of the enzyme preparation Lipozyme TL IM (based on the weight of the oil), molar ratio of methyl formate to oil - 40:1, duration - 60 h. Under these conditions, an 81.6% yield of rapeseed oil methyl esters was obtained

Analysis of Biological Degradation and Life Cycle Indicators of Mineral Diesel Fuel Mixtures, Containing 10% Biodiesel, Obtained by Simultaneous Oil Extraction and Transesterification

This article provides data on the environmental properties of biofuels obtained by the simultaneous extraction of oil from spoiled rapeseed and transesterification, with the addition of mineral diesel to the reaction mixture. The resulting reaction product contained 10% biodiesel: fatty acid methyl, ethyl, or butyl esters in mixtures with mineral diesel. The addition of biodiesel has been found to increase the rate of biodegradation of fuels. Such fuels are classified as partially biodegradable, according to the OECD classification. Life cycle analysis showed that the mixtures of biodiesel and mineral diesel have lower negative environmental impacts, compared to pure mineral diesel. The values of indicators such as abiotic depletion, acidification, global warming, ozone depletion, and human toxicity for these mixtures were 40–58% lower compared to the corresponding values for mineral diesel

Simultaneous Extraction of Rapeseed Oil and Enzymatic Transesterification with Butanol in the Mineral Diesel Medium

Increasing environmental pollution is driving an increase in the production and use of biofuels. The cost price of biodiesel could be reduced by using low-quality oilseeds unfit for human consumption and by applying the simultaneous oil extraction and transesterification process, avoiding the oil pressure stage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the enzymatic biofuel production process (in situ) by using rapeseed with high oil acidity for simultaneous oil extraction and transesterification with a mixture of butanol and mineral diesel fuel. The investigation of the in situ process was performed using a mixture of butanol and mineral diesel and the most effective biocatalyst Lipozyme TL IM was selected. The novelty of this paper consists of the fact that mineral diesel was used as the oil extractant, and the amount chosen was such that, at the end, a mixture of fuel with a ratio 9:1 of mineral diesel to biodiesel was be produced. The experiments were carried out using ground rapeseeds under laboratory conditions. The efficiency of oil extraction was investigated by the FTIR spectrometry method, and the efficiency of transesterification was determined by the gas chromatography method. It was found that the optimal reaction duration was 7 h, reaction temperature was 40 °C, and lipase content was 6% (from the oil content in rapeseed). An oil extraction efficiency of 99.92 ± 0.04 (w/w) was observed at these conditions. A transesterification degree of 99.08 ± 0.08% (w/w) met with the requirements of the standards for biodiesel fuel. The physical and chemical properties of the produced fuel mixture met the requirements of the standards for mineral diesel and biodiesel; therefore, it can be used in diesel engines