Chemistry

Chemists discover easy way to make biodiesel from waste oil

Graphical summary. Credit: Energy and Fuels (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.4c03643

Chemists at the University of California, Santa Cruz have discovered a new way to make biodiesel from waste oil that simplifies the process and requires relatively mild heat. The discovery has the potential to make alternative fuel sources more attractive to the large industrial sector that is the backbone of the country’s economy.

In 2022, the U.S. transportation sector alone used approximately 3 million barrels of diesel per day, accounting for approximately 75% of the country’s total fuel consumption. According to the Federal Energy Information Administration, diesel use accounted for about 10% of total energy-related CO2 emissions in the United States that year.

Although some companies are turning to electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions, the majority of vehicles still run on diesel. Part of the reason is that biodiesel is difficult to produce and energy-intensive, slowing its adoption. Biofuels accounted for only 6% of all energy sources used in the U.S. transportation sector in 2022.

In a study published Oct. 3 in the journal Energy & Fuels, lead author Kevin Lofgren used sodium tetramethoxyborate (NaB(OMe)4) to convert used vegetable oil into biodiesel. Learn more about new ways to change your . This chemical is used to create the active ingredient that reacts with petroleum to make biodiesel, and is considered unique in that the biofuel can be easily separated from manufacturing byproducts.

Another benefit is that the resulting by-products can be used to regenerate the most expensive ingredients in the manufacturing process. Last but not least, the reaction is completed within an hour at temperatures as low as 40°C (104°F), saving energy and cost.

“I always wanted to work on biodiesel,” Dr. Lofgren said. student studying chemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “I started researching this new material that I created to see if it could attack the fats in oil to help biodiesel catalyze, and it all started from there.”

While individual consumers increasingly rely on solar and electrical energy to power their homes and cars, America’s huge industrial sector remains dependent on diesel fuel. Lofgren pointed out that the majority of the trucks, trains and boats that transport goods around the world currently run on diesel engines and won’t be electrified anytime soon.

Meanwhile, researchers point out that biodiesel is a carbon-neutral fuel that is currently available and approved to power these vehicles without engine modifications.

University of California, Santa Cruz chemists discover new process that makes biodiesel production easier and uses less energy

Kevin Lofgren in his lab holds a flask containing a pure biodiesel product made by a process described in Energy & Fuels magazine. Credit: University of California Santa Cruz

Reducing the energy needed to produce biofuels

Some current methods of producing biodiesel produce soap as a byproduct, making it difficult to purify the fuel and reducing the productivity of the actual product. Other approaches rely on palm oil and require rainforest trees to be felled to make space for monoculture palm tree plantations. These methods are energy intensive and require very high temperatures and pressures. The technology detailed in this study can produce biodiesel at temperatures lower than that required to boil water.

“It takes a lot of energy to make energy,” says co-author Scott Oliver, professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “Compared to current oil refineries that consume energy and cause environmental pollution, our method uses waste oil and mild heating.”

According to the researchers, the method they discovered converts about 85% of used vegetable oil into biodiesel, passing nearly all industry standards for use as fuel for heavy equipment and transportation vehicles. The exception was the moisture content, which was only slightly higher than the acceptable value. The researchers predict that once the process is scaled up, the water content will be within acceptable levels.

“This new method is special because it is simple and affordable. It has the advantage of being able to regenerate the starting material,” Lofgren said. “We already have a competitively low cost. But if you buy the most expensive feedstock once and can regenerate it, it becomes more cost-effective in the long run.”

“Everyone needs energy. Every farm, food production plant and transportation vehicle relies on energy,” Oliver said. “This could have a big impact on people. The process can be run at temperatures just above room temperature and is reusable. You don’t need to have a refinery and you could potentially use this method on your farm. .”

Baksan Singaram, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is co-corresponding author of the paper, “Borate Pathway from Used Oil to FAMEs at Near-Ambient Conditions.”

Further information: Kevin C. Lofgren et al, Borate Pathway to FAME from Spent Petroleum, Energy, and Fuels at Near-Ambient Conditions (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.4c03643

Provided by University of California, Santa Cruz

Citation: Chemists discover easy way to produce biodiesel from waste oil (November 8, 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-11-chemists-easier-biodiesel-oil.html 2024 Retrieved November 8, 2018

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