Ethyl biodiesels derived from non-edible oils within the biorefinery concept - Pilot scale production & engine emissions

Procedures and operating conditions optimized in laboratory scale for the production of ethyl biodiesels from non-edible vegetable oils (NEVOs) were successfully transferred at pilot scale, with implementation of separation and purification stages. The three NEVOs candidates are Balanites aegyptiaca (BA), Azadirachta indica (AI), and Jatropha curcas (JC), converted into BAEEs, AIEEs and JCEEs respectively via homogeneous catalysis. Quality specifications of the produced biofuels were used to explain pollutant emissions and engine performance observed via a power generator. Under the same conditions, blends of petrodiesel with crude BA or JC oil (50 wt.%) were also investigated. The selected overall methodology “feedstock-conversion-engine” led to the proposal of a sustainable alternative fuel. The candidate NEVO is BA oil to which the proposed alkali route should lead to a low cost biodiesel production process thanks to easy operating conditions, associated with a two-stage procedure (glycerol recycling) and a dry-purification method (rice husk ashes). Glycerol addition should be carried out at ambient temperature to play positively at phenomena occurring in the reacting medium (chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, phase equilibrium). Tests on power generator demonstrated that BAEEs led to cleaner combustion than petrodiesel, particularly for the most harmful emissions (light carbonyls and ultrafine particulate matter)

Ethyl biodiesel production from non-edible oils of Balanites aegyptiaca, Azadirachta indica, and Jatropha curcas seeds - Laboratory scale development

International audienceBy starting first at the laboratory scale, optimal operating conditions for the reaction unit aimed at producing ethyl biodiesels from non-edible vegetable oils (NEVO) were determined with the ultimate objective of proposing an on-farm processing technology that should be sustainable for emerging countries. Three NEVO widely available in Burkina Faso were selected: Balanites aegyptiaca (BA), Azadirachta indica (AI), and Jatropha curcas (JC) oils. Their conversion to fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) was conducted via a two-stage procedure under atmospheric pressure: an alkali-catalyzed ethanolysis at ambient temperature for the BA and AI oils (leading to 93 and 87 wt.% FAEE respectively) and an acid catalyzed on the intermediate addition of glycerol at ambient temperature, the two-stage procedure combines chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, and phase equilibrium phenomena

Dry Purification by Natural Adsorbents of Ethyl Biodiesels Derived from Nonedible Oils

International audienceThe purpose of this work is to analyze the efficiency of natural adsorbents (rice husk ash (RHA) versus corn husk ash (CHA)) for the dry purification of ethyl biodiesels obtained by transesterification via homogeneous catalysis of nonedible oils (Balagnites aegyptiaca, Azadirachta indica, and Jatropha curcas). The characterization of RHA and CHA was achieved by N2 adsorption/Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis and by scanning electron spectroscopy with microanalysis by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The quality of the three biodiesels, before and after dry treatment on adsorbent, was evaluated by various analytical methods (1H nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector, Karl Fischer titration, and inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy). Several operating conditions (presence of activated carbon in the ashes, temperature, contact time, and number of treatment cycles) were tested in order to define the best procedure. RHA combined with the selected procedure showed very satisfactory results for removal of impurities from the produced biodiesels (residual glycerides, free glycerin, water, catalyst, and metals introduced during the oil extraction) and thus may be an alternative to the conventional wet purification process (acidic water washing)