Biodiesel Production from Vegetable Oils and Animal Fat over Solid Acid Double-Metal Cyanide Catalysts

Biodiesel comprises of fatty acid alkyl esters prepared from vegetable oils or animal fat by esterification/transesterification with short-chain alcohols (methanol or ethanol, for example). It is a biodegradable renewable fuel. Its production is growing exponentially due to greater concerns about environmental protection and depletion of fossil fuel resources. Further, its production from non-edible oils and animal fat is more desirable than from edible oils due to lower cost of non-edible feedstocks and elimination of food verses fuel issues. Solid acid catalysts are ideal for conversion of such low-grade oils to biodiesel. Biodiesel from non-edible oils can be produced by two methods: (1) simultaneous esterification of fatty acids and transesterification of fatty acid glycerides and (2) hydrolysis of glycerides followed by esterification. This account reports the catalytic performance of solid, Fe–Zn double-metal cyanide (DMC) complexes and other acid catalysts in these transformations for biodiesel production. The factors influencing the catalytic performance of the solid acid catalysts in biodiesel production are discussed.     

Transesterification of Soybean Oil Catalyzed by Calcium Hydroxide which Obtained from Hydrolysis Reaction of Calcium Carbide

Calcium carbide residue (CCR) was investigated in transesterification reaction of triglycerides to determine its viability as a solid catalyst for biodiesel synthesis. Literature survey showed that CCR has never been studied as a solid catalyst in the transesterification of triglyceride. The scope of the study includes the effects of CCR calcination temperature, calcination time, the alcohol/oil molar ratio, the catalyst amount (wt % of oil) and the reaction time. The relationship between chemical composition and catalytic activity of waste cement was also investigated. These CCR catalysts, thermally activated at 600 °C, can give rise to fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) purity higher than 99.5%, after 3 h of reaction, when oil/methanol molar ratio of 1/12 and 1 wt % of the catalyst were employed. Application of CCR as catalyst for biodiesel production in this study may not only provide a cost‐effective and environment friendly way of recycling CCR waste but also reduce hopefully the cost of biodiesel production.     

Sol–Gel Entrapped Lewis Acids as Catalysts for Biodiesel Production

Replacing fossil fuels with biodiesel enables the emission of greenhouse gases to be decreased and reduces dependence on fossil fuels in countries with poor natural resources. Biodiesel can be produced by an esterification reaction between free fatty acids (FFAs) and methanol or by transesterification of triglycerides from oils. Both reactions require homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysis. Production of biodiesel catalyzed by heterogeneous catalysts seems to be the preferred route, enabling easy product separation. As we have previously shown, the Lewis acids AlCl₃ and BF₃ can serve as highly efficient catalysts under ultrasonic activation. The present study focused on the development of oleic acid (OA) esterification with methanol by the same catalysts immobilized in silica matrices using the sol–gel synthesis route. During the course of immobilization, AlCl₃ converts to AlCl₃ × 6H₂O (aluminite) and BF₃ is hydrolyzed with the production of B₂O₃. The immobilized catalysts can be reused or involved in a continuous process. The possibility of biodiesel production using immobilized catalysts under ultrasonic activation is shown for the conversion of FFAs into biodiesel in batch and continuous mode.     

HPLC method for rapidly following biodiesel fuel transesterification reaction progress using a core-shell column

There are a wide and growing variety of feedstocks for biodiesel fuel. Most commonly, these feedstocks contain triglycerides which are transesterified into the fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAEs) which comprise biodiesel fuel. While the tranesterification reaction itself is simple, monitoring the reaction progress and reaction products is not. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is useful for assessing the FAAE products, but does not directly address either the tri-, di-, or monoglycerides present from incomplete transesterification or the free fatty acids which may also be present. Analysis of the biodiesel reaction mixture is complicated by the solubility and physical property differences among the components of the tranesterification reaction mixture. In this contribution, we present a simple, rapid HPLC method which allows for monitoring all of the main components in a biodiesel fuel transesterification reaction, with specific emphasis on the ability to monitor the reaction as a function of time. The utilization of a relatively new, core-shell stationary phase for the HPLC column allows for efficient separation of peaks with short elution times, saving both time and solvent.     

超声作用下KF/CaO催化酯交换反应制备生物柴油

等体积浸渍法制备了KF/CaO固体碱催化剂,用于催化大豆油与甲醇酯交换反应制备生物柴油,在反应体系中引入超声作为辅助条件。研究表明,KF/CaO催化活性高。在超声的辅助作用下,酯交换反应速率加快,生物柴油的收率提高。实验考察了反应条件对产品中脂肪酸甲酯含量的影响。醇油摩尔比为12∶1,反应温度65℃,催化剂与大豆油的质量比为3%,反应1 h,超声频率20 kHz,超声声强1.01 W/cm2,在此反应条件下,产品中脂肪酸甲酯的质量分数达到99.6%。     

Phase and chemical equilibria in the transesterification reaction of vegetable oils with supercritical lower alcohols

Calculations of thermodynamic data are performed for fatty acid triglycerides, free fatty acids, and fatty acid methyl esters, participants of the transesterification reaction of vegetable oils that occurs in methanol. Using the obtained thermodynamic parameters, the phase diagrams for the reaction mixture are constructed, and the chemical equilibria of the esterification reaction of free fatty acids and the transesterification reaction of fatty acid triglycerides attained upon treatment with supercritical methanol are determined. Relying on our analysis of the obtained equilibria for the esterification reaction of fatty acids and the transesterification reaction of triglycerides attained upon treatment with lower alcohols, we select the optimum conditions for performing the reaction in practice.     

脂肪酸在超临界甲醇中的酯化反应研究

超临界甲醇中的酯化和酯交换反应是利用植物油、动物油或废油脂制备生物柴油的新工艺.它的最大特点是不需要添加催化剂,超临界甲醇既是反应媒介,又是反应物.     

亚临界条件下地沟油制备生物柴油副产物中有机氯化物的定性检测及来源分析

该文介绍了一种生物柴油副产物粗甘油和拔出轻组分中有机氯化物的气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）定性检测方法。样品来自于亚临界条件下地沟油与甲醇的酯交换反应，总氯含量较高。在GC-MS分析之前采用正己烷萃取脱除样品中的脂肪酸甲酯和游离脂肪酸等脂溶性干扰组分，对参考标准样品3-氯代甘油和2-氯代甘油以及样品的脱脂水相部分进行苯硼酸衍生化、正己烷萃取、浓缩等处理，经正己烷复溶后进行GC-MS分析。结果表明，生物柴油副产物中的有机氯化物主要为3-氯代甘油和2-氯代甘油。参考已有文献的研究结果和生物柴油制备工艺对有机氯化物的来源进行了讨论，推断原料地沟油中存在的大量无机氯盐是导致产生3-氯代甘油和2-氯代甘油的主要原因。     

Montmorillonite-supported KF/CaO: a new solid base catalyst for biodiesel production

Biodiesel is an alternative to petroleum-derived diesel fuel; development of a high-efficiency base catalyst to be used in heterogeneous biodiesel production is still a challenge. In this paper, a novel solid base catalyst, KF- and CaO-supported montmorillonite (KCa/MMT) was successfully synthesized by a facile impregnation method, and used for producing biodiesel in transesterification of commercial soybean oil with methanol. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, carbon dioxide temperature-programmed desorption and scanning electron microscopy. Effects of the parameters, such as the loading amount of KF, the amount of KCa/MMT, and the methanol to oil molar ratios, on the yield of biodiesel were investigated. A maximum biodiesel yield of 98 % was obtained under the optimal reaction conditions. The separated catalyst can be directly used in the next round of reactions and gave a satisfactory yield. Furthermore, analysis of the catalyst's tolerance to oil-containing water or free fatty acids, and a kinetic study were also carried out. Koros–Nowak tests were designed and conducted, and it was proven that the heat and mass transfer were not limited by the reaction rate.     

Fascinating and challenging role of tungstate promoted vanadium phosphate towards solvent free esterification of oleic acid

A novel solid acid catalyst has been extensively used for the esterification reaction. Herein, tungstate promoted vanadium phosphate material is fabricated from its precursor, VOHPO(4)·0.5H(2)O and its catalytic activities and structure are investigated in detail. This kind of catalyst is, for the first time, applied for the effective production of biodiesel from fatty acids. Although vanadium phosphate has been extensively used in gas phase oxidation reactions, it has not drawn much attention for its application in liquid phase reactions. Our recent results indicate that vanadium phosphate is an effective, minimally polluting and re-usable catalyst that is highly suited to the production of biodiesel from fatty acids. This work extends the possibility of using VPO in other liquid phase reactions.     

Critical review on analytical methods for biodiesel characterization

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel composed of mono-alkyl esters and obtained mainly from the base-catalyzed transesterification reaction of oils or fats. Its use (pure or blended) does not demand any modification in the diesel engine and in the existing fuel distribution and storage infrastructure. Moreover, biodiesel has a high energetic yield, fixes the solar energy and contains insignificant amounts of sulphur. Therefore, biodiesel is currently the best substitute for fossil diesel fuel.Besides mono-alkyl esters, glycerol (main co-product), alcohol, catalyst, free fatty acids, tri-, di- and monoglycerides compose the final mixture of biodiesel production process. These and other kinds of contaminants can lead to severe operational and environmental problems. Therefore, the quality control of biodiesel is greatly significant to the success of its commercialization and market acceptance. Some important issues on the biodiesel quality control involve the monitoring of transesterification reaction, the quantification of mono-alkyl esters and free- and bonded glycerol as well as determination of residual catalysts and alcohol. Moreover, the determination of blend levels is another key aspect of biodiesel analyses. Chromatography and spectroscopy are the analytical methods most used for the biodiesel characterization, but procedures based on physical properties are also available.Previously, a review on analytical methods used to evaluate biodiesel quality was written by Knothe. Due to the importance of this field, we made an update of Knothes’ review. Therefore, in this paper, we will describe new developments in biodiesel analyses and some references showed in Knothes’ paper. Specially, we will describe analytical methods used for quantification of glycerol, mono-, di-, triglycerides, methanol, water, Na, K, P, and steroids in biodiesel or along the transesterification reaction. Also, the determination of biodiesel content in blends and some physicochemical parameters are discussed. At the end, we will assess the available techniques and point out some improvements on analytical methods for biodiesel characterization.     

酯交换制生物柴油的CaO固体碱催化剂

用不同的前驱物合成了三种CaO催化剂, 并以X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM) 、程序升温脱附(TPD)等方法加以表征. 这些CaO被用作大豆油(SBO)经酯交换制取脂肪酸甲酯(FAME), 即生物柴油的催化剂, 由方解石制备的氧化钙(Cal(N))表现了最好的SBO酯交换活性. 检测发现CaO的酯交换活性与它们的碱性强度密切相关, 当暴露于CO2气氛下, 显著降低了CaO的酯交换催化活性(Raman光谱测试显示当置CaO于常温空气中, 其表面形成的CaCO3和Ca(OH)2将阻止CaO继续参与SBO的酯交换反应). CO2的毒化颇受制于CaO前驱体种类, Cal(N)比来自文石的CaO(即Ara(N))有更好的抗CO2毒化能力; 这些受损的CaO催化活性可部分复原. 提出了CaO催化剂受CO2毒化及其再生的机理, 同时讨论了SBO酯交换活性相到底是CaO固体表面, 拟或溶解了的CaO的问题.     

棉籽现场碱催化转酯化联产生物柴油和无毒棉粕

通过棉籽现场碱催化转酯化联产生物柴油和无毒棉粕,考察了棉仁中水的质量分数、粒径对产物中脂肪酸甲酯（FAME）的质量分数和棉粕中游离棉酚（FG）质量分数的影响;对反应过程中的醇油摩尔比、反应时间、催化剂用量、反应温度进行了单因素和正交实验考察。实验得到的反应适宜条件为,棉仁含水量在1.92%左右,棉仁粒径小于0.335mm,反应醇油摩尔比135∶1,反应3h,甲醇中氢氧化钠浓度0.10mol/L,反应温度30℃。在上述反应条件下,反应产物中甲酯的质量分数可达97%,棉粕中游离棉酚的质量分数为0.031%,低于FAO规定的国际标准。     

Sulfonic Acid-Functionalized Solid Acid Catalyst in Esterification and Transesterification Reactions

The recent development of an environmentally benign solid acid catalyst has been a relatively cutting-edge area of research in the synthesis of value added esters and biodiesel. Solid acid catalysts are economically viable, effective, and environmentally amicable than conventional homogeneous catalysts and reusability of the catalyst is another advantage of these catalysts. The applicability of sulfonic acid-functionalized solid acid catalysts in the well-known esterification and transesterification reactions for the synthesis of esters and biodiesel, respectively along with their reusability aspect are discussed in this review.     

Calculating the thermodynamic characteristics of the stepwise transesterification of simple triglycerides

Thermodynamic data for mono- and diglycerides of palmitic, oleic, and linoleic fatty acids participating in the stepwise transesterification reaction of the corresponding simple triglycerides in methanol are calculated. The obtained thermodynamic parameters allow us to calculate the chemical equilibrium and the equilibrium composition of the products of the stepwise transesterification reaction of fatty acid triglycerides with supercritical methanol.     

Nanocatalysts for biodiesel production

Biofuels are a class of clean fuels and promising for energy demand. Biodiesel is relatively costly, which limits the commercialization of the product. The waste edible oil and animal fats are raw materials for biodiesel production. This paper focuses on the catalytic production of biofuels and reviews the application of different catalysts to produce biodiesel from waste oils by using esterification and transesterification reactions. The reaction in the presence of nanocatalysts is carried out under mild operating conditions. Nowadays, magnetic nanocatalysts are preferred to bulk catalysts due to the absence of mass transfer resistance and fast deactivation as well as high recovery rate during the separation. Functionalized magnetic nanocatalysts are more attractive for biodiesel production. Further studies should do to develop highly active and selective nanocatalysts for industrial scale.     

双核碱性离子液体催化棉籽油酯交换制备生物柴油

采用两步法制备了五种新型咪唑类碱性双核功能化离子液体化合物,并考察了对棉籽油酯交换制备生物柴油的催化性能。结果表明,咪唑类碱性双核功能化离子液体具有很好的催化活性,其催化活性与阳离子中碳链长度有关。其中,双-(3-甲基-1-咪唑)亚乙基双氢氧化物离子液体的催化活性最好。催化剂量、反应时间、反应温度及醇油比对生物柴油中脂肪酸甲酯含量及选择性影响的研究发现,在催化剂用量为0.4%(质量分数),醇油摩尔比为12,反应温度为55℃,反应时间为4 h时,脂肪酸甲酯的含量和选择性分别达98.5%和99.9%。催化剂7次循环后,产物中脂肪酸甲酯含量仍达到96.2%,单甘酯和双甘酯的含量很少,表明该催化剂重复使用良好。     

Production of biodiesel by immobilized Candida sp. lipase at high water content

A new process for enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel at high water content (10–20%) with 96% conversion by lipase from Candida sp. 99–125 was studied. The lipase, a no-position-specific lipase, was immobilized by a cheap cotton membrane and the membrane-immobilized lipase could be used at least six times with high conversion. The immobilized lipase could be used for different oil conversion and preferred unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid to staturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid. The changes in concentration of fatty acids, diglycerides, and methyl esters in the reaction were studied and a mechanism of synthesis of biodiesel was suggested: the triglycerides are first enzymatically hydrolyzed into fatty acids, and then these fatty acids are further converted into methyl esters.     

华根霉全细胞脂肪酶催化合成生物柴油

比较了5种不同商品化脂肪酶和自制的华根霉CCTCCM201021全细胞脂肪酶(RCL)催化油脂合成生物柴油的转化效果,结果表明,RCL能有效应用于无溶剂体系催化合成生物柴油.在无溶剂体系中对该酶催化生物柴油的转酯化反应工艺进行优化,考察了甲醇用量、体系含水量、酶的添加量和反应温度对生物柴油收率的影响,使生物柴油最终收率大于86.0%.在有机溶剂体系中选择不同有机溶剂作为助溶剂进行转酯化反应,发现logP值在4.0～4.5的有机溶剂具有较好的转化效果.其中以正庚烷为助溶剂的转酯化反应具有最高的生物柴油收率86.7%.在无溶剂体系中RCL催化转化油酸和模拟高酸价油脂合成脂肪酸甲酯的研究表明,该酶具有很好的催化合成生物柴油的潜力.