Biodiesel Production from Alkali-Catalyzed Transesterification of Tamarindus indica Seed Oil and Optimization of Process Conditions

Biodiesel is considered a sustainable alternative to petro-diesel owing to several favorable characteristics. However, higher production costs, primarily due to the use of costly edible oils as raw materials, are a chief impediment to its pecuniary feasibility. Exploring non-edible oils as raw material for biodiesel is an attractive strategy that would address the economic constraints associated with biodiesel production. This research aims to optimize the reaction conditions for the production of biodiesel through an alkali-catalyzed transesterification of Tamarindus indica seed oil. The Taguchi method was applied to optimize performance parameters such as alcohol-to-oil molar ratio, catalyst amount, and reaction time. The fatty acid content of both oil and biodiesel was determined using gas chromatography. The optimized conditions of alcohol-to-oil molar ratio (6:1), catalyst (1.5% w/w), and reaction time 1 h afforded biodiesel with 93.5% yield. The most considerable contribution came from the molar ratio of alcohol to oil (75.9%) followed by the amount of catalyst (20.7%). In another case, alcohol to oil molar ratio (9:1), catalyst (1.5% w/w) and reaction time 1.5 h afforded biodiesel 82.5% yield. The fuel properties of Tamarindus indica methyl esters produced under ideal conditions were within ASTM D6751 biodiesel specified limits. Findings of the study indicate that Tamarindus indica may be chosen as a prospective and viable option for large-scale production of biodiesel, making it a substitute for petro-diesel.     

Biodiesel production and comparison using commercial lipase and chemical catalyst from Cassia auriculata oil

In this present investigation, Cassia auriculata was explored as a feedstock for production of biodiesel. Transesterification reaction was performed by both enzyme (lipase) and chemical (potassium hydroxide) catalyst with diverse acyl acceptors such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, n-propanol, butanol, n- butanol, and finally their biodiesel yield were also recorded. Process optimization was performed by both one factor at a time method and response surface method. The maximal biodiesel yield of 92% (weight/weight) was obtained at the following optimal conditions: Oil:Methanol molar ratio of 1:6 (moles/moles), the lipase concentration of 2% (weight/weight), at 35 ?°C and 120 ?min. The highest biodiesel yield from Cassia auriculata oil was occurred with excess methanol that aids the equilibrium shift in the forward direction. The kinetics of the transesterification reaction was investigated under optimal conditions and the activation energy was found to be 14.91 ?kJ/mol. Simultaneously Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectroscopy was also carried out for the biodiesel produced from Cassia auriculata and the same has been reported. The GC analysis declares the existence of fatty acid esters like hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, methyl stearate and the peak with retention time 12.8 ?min signifies the evidence of hexadecanoic acid methyl ester with 28% of yield content. This investigation also evaluated the biodiesel quality produced from lipase-transesterified Cassia auriculata oil based on fuel properties. Biodiesel properties Flash Point (FC), Pour Point (PP) and kinematic viscosity were compared with American (ASTM 6751) and European (EN 14214) Standards. Cassia auriculata oil had PP 6.7 ?°C and Kinematic viscosity (813 ?kg/m³) that agreed with both the standards. Thus this study showed that Cassia auriculata oil could be a better fuel alternative with further improvement of fuel properties.     

Synthesis of SBA-15 from low cost silica precursor obtained from sugarcane leaf ash and its application as a support matrix for lipase in biodiesel production

Ordered mesoporous silica material was synthesized from a low-cost precursor, sugarcane leaf ash, was used as a support matrix for lipase for the production of biodiesel. The mesoporous samples were characterized using Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy. The surface topography and morphology of the mesoporous materials were studied using scanning electron microscope. The pore diameter, pore volume, Brunauer Emmett and Teller surface area of the mesoporous material were determined by N₂ gas adsorption technique. Different pore size Santa Barbara Acid-15 (SBA-15) samples were synthesized and their lipase immobilization capacity and specific enzyme activity of immobilization lipase were determined and compared. Lipase from Candida Antarctica immobilized on SBA-15 (C) had shown maximum percentage immobilization and specific enzyme activity. The immobilized lipase mesoporous matrix was used for biodiesel production from crude non-edible Calophyllum inophyllum oil. The percentage yield of fatty acid methyl ester, 97.6 % was obtained under optimized conditions: 100 mg of lipase immobilized on SBA-15, 6:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, the reaction of 2 g C. inophyllum oil with methanol.     

Enzyme catalyzed production of biodiesel from olive oil

Biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) was produced by transesterification of triglycerides (triolein) present in olive oil with methanol and Novozym435. The effect of the molar ratio of methanol to triolein, semibatch (stepwise addition of methanol) vs batch operation, enzyme activity, and reaction temperature on overall conversion was determined. Stepwise methanolysis with a 3:1 methanol to triolein molar ratio and an overall ratio of 8:1 gave the best results. The final conversion and yield of biodiesel were unaffected by initial enzyme concentrations greater than 500 U/mL olive oil. The optimum reaction temperature was 60 degrees C. Comparison of conversion data between a test-tube scale reactor and a 2-L batch reactor revealed that the difference in conversion was within 10%. Experiments were also carried out with used cooking oil; the conversion with used cooking oil was slightly lower but no major differences were observed. The efficacy of Novozym435 was determined by reusing the enzyme; although the enzyme's relative activity decreased with reuse, it still retained 95% of its activity after five batches and more than 70% after as many as eight batches.     

基于氯化镁饱和溶液中固定化脂肪酶Lipozyme TL IM催化光皮树油脂合成生物柴油

基于氯化镁饱和溶液反应体系中,对采用固定化脂肪酶Lipozyme TL IM催化光皮树油脂转化为生物柴油的工艺进行了研究。考察了固定化脂肪酶Lipozyme TL IM催化光皮树油转酯化的工艺中甲醇的用量、固定化脂肪酶的添加量、摇床的转速和反应时间对生物柴油产率的影响。实验结果表明,采用氯化镁饱和溶液反应体系,在醇油摩尔比为3∶1,固定化酶Lipozyme TL IM用量为光皮树油质量的20%,摇床转速为150 r/min,反应8 h时,生物柴油产率最高,达到86.5%。与传统的三步甲醇醇解或者有机溶剂反应体系比较,采用的氯化镁饱和溶液体系的酶稳定性更好,反应效率更高,有效地解决了酶在甲醇中失活的问题,生产成本低,可成为生产生物柴油的新工艺。     

Preparation of Biodiesel with Liquid Synergetic Lipases from Rapeseed Oil Deodorizer Distillate

To reduce industrial production cost, cheap and easily available rapeseed oil deodorizer distillates were used as feedstock to prepare biodiesel in this study. As a result, liquid forms of Candida rugosa lipase and Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL) were functioned as new and effective catalysts with biodiesel yield of 92.63% for 30 h and 94.36% for 9 h, respectively. Furthermore, the synergetic effect between the two lipases was employed to enhance biodiesel yield with a result of 98.16% in 6 h under optimized conditions via response surface methodology. The obtained conversion rate surpassed both yields of the individual two lipases and markedly shortened the reaction time. The resultant optimal conditions were ROL ratio 0.84, water content 46 wt% (w/w), reaction temperature 34 °C, and reaction time 6 h.     

Alkali Hydrothermal Synthesis of Na0.1Ca0.9TiO3 Nanorods as Heterogeneous Catalyst for Transesterification of Camelina Sativa Oil to Biodiesel

Orthorhombic perovskite Na_0.1Ca_0.9TiO₃ nanorods were synthesized at low calcination temperature via alkali hydrothermal synthesis. The synthesized nanorods exhibits a square based prism morphology, with a width and length of 200–500 nm and 2–3 μm respectively. The structural, textural and basic characteristics of the catalyst were examined by SEM, TEM, XRD and BET. The growth direction of the nanorods was confirmed to be along the long symmetry [110] zone axis and the exterior surfaces are found to be polar (110) and (002) with either Ti or Ca exposed in those facets. The catalytic activity of the nanorods was investigated for the transesterification of the low-input Camelina Sativa oil and methanol to give the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). Effects of important reaction parameters such as methanol to oil molar ratio, catalyst dosage, reaction temperature and reaction time on oil conversion were examined. Optimized biodiesel yield of 93 % was achieved with catalyst dosage of 6 % w/w, methanol to oil molar ratio of 36:1 at reaction temperature of 60 °C for 8 h.     

Comparison and optimisation of biodiesel production from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Jatropha curcas</Emphasis> oil using supercritical methyl acetate and methanol

In this study, biodiesel has been successfully produced by transesterification using non-catalytic supercritical methanol and methyl acetate. The variables studied, such as reaction time, reaction temperature and molar ratio of methanol or methyl acetate to oil, were optimised to obtain the optimum yield of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). Subsequently, the results for both reactions were analysed and compared via Response Surface Methodology (RSM) analysis. The mathematical models for both reactions were found to be adequate to predict the optimum yield of biodiesel. The results from the optimisation studies showed that a yield of 89.4 % was achieved for the reaction with supercritical methanol within the reaction time of 27 min, reaction temperature of 358°C, and methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 44. For the reaction in the presence of supercritical methyl acetate, the optimum conditions were found to be: reaction time of 32 min, reaction temperature of 400°C, and methyl acetate-to-oil molar ratio of 50 to achieve 71.9 % biodiesel yield. The differences in the behaviour of methanol and methyl acetate in the transesterification reaction are largely due to the difference in reactivity and mutual solubility of Jatropha curcas oil and methanol/methyl acetate.     

Application of a Chitosan-Immobilized Talaromyces thermophilus Lipase to a Batch Biodiesel Production from Waste Frying Oils

Waste frying oil, which not only harms people’s health but also causes environmental pollution, can be a good alternative to partially substitute petroleum diesel through transesterification reaction. This oil contained 8.8 % of free fatty acids, which cause a problem in a base-catalyzed process. In this study, synthesis of biodiesel was efficiently catalyzed by the covalently immobilized Talaromyces thermophilus lipase and allowed bioconversion yield up to 92 % after 24 h of reaction time. The optimal molar ratio was four to six parts of methanol to one part of oil with a biocatalyst loaded of 25 wt.% of oil. Further, experiments revealed that T. thermophilus lipase, immobilized by a multipoint covalent liaison onto activated chitosan via a short spacer (glutaraldehyde), was sufficiently tolerant to methanol. In fact, using the stepwise addition of methanol, no significant difference was observed from the one-step whole addition at the start of reaction. The batch biodiesel synthesis was performed in a fixed bed reactor with a lipase loaded of 10 g. The bioconversion yield of 98 % was attained after a 5-h reaction time. The bioreactor was operated successfully for almost 150 h without any changes in the initial conversion yield. Most of the chemical and physical properties of the produced biodiesel meet the European and USA standard specifications of biodiesel fuels.     

Study of the Alcoholysis of Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymers with Methanol in the Extrusion Process

Abstract

We investigated the sodium methanolate (NaOMe) catalyzed transesterification of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA) of different compositions with the less compatible methanol (MeOH). The experiments were carried out in a twin-screw extruder with a specially designed reaction zone. The residence time was about 150 seconds. The influence of catalyst quantity on conversion yield was determined for different amounts of added alcohol. Increasing catalyst concentrations accelerated transesterification to such an extent that the state of equilibrium could be achieved during the residence time in the extruder. The dependence of equilibrium conversions on the starting molar ratio MeOH/VA were determined over a broad range, and the equilibrium constant of methanolysis was calculated for K = 3.3. Based on an overall reaction rate derived from the general reaction scheme and which considers a mass transfer for catalyst in the EVA melt, it is possible to calculate the rate constants k ₁ = 33.1 and k _?1 = 8.0 L²˙mol^?2˙min^?1. The methanolysis of EVA in the extrusion process was shown to be a useful method suitable for industrial application. The results of our investigations allow for accurate modification of EVA products.     

Effective production of γ-valerolactone from biomass-derived methyl levulinate over CuOx-CaCO3 catalyst

The production of γ-valerolactone (GVL) from lignocellulosic biomass has become a focus of research owing to its potential applications in fuels and chemicals. In this study, (n)CuO_x-CaCO₃ (where n is the molar ratio of Cu to Ca) compounds were prepared for the first time and shown to function as efficient bifunctional catalysts for the conversion of biomass-derived methyl levulinate (ML) into GVL, using methanol as the in-situ hydrogen source. Among the catalysts with varied Cu/Ca molar ratios, (3/2)CuO_x-CaCO₃ provided the highest GVL yield of 95.6% from ML. The incorporation of CaCO₃ with CuO resulted in the formation of Cu⁺ species in a CuO_x-CaCO₃ catalyst, which greatly facilitated the hydrogenation of ML. Notably, CuO_x-CaCO₃ also displayed excellent catalytic performance in the methanolysis products of cellulose, even in the presence of humins. Therefore, a facile two-step strategy for the production of GVL from cellulose could be developed over this robust and inexpensive catalyst, through the integration of cellulose methanolysis catalyzed by sulfuric acid, methanol reforming, and ML hydrogenation in methanol medium.     

Production of biodiesel through transesterification of soybean oil using ZIF-8@GO doped with sodium and potassium catalyst

One pot encapsulating (hydrothermal) method was used to synthesize ZIF-8@GO hybrid nanocomposites. Na/ZIF-8@GO doped with potassium were synthesized by the hydrothermal treatment of ZIF-8@GO precursor with a 10 M alkali solution containing both NaOH and KOH. The final product (KNa/ZIF-8@GO) was characterized by FTIR, XRD, BET, TGA, and SEM. The structure of graphene oxide remains intact following various modifications, as shown by absorption–desorption analysis, while spectral techniques indicate successful immobilization of the neat ZIF-8 between the GO sheets. Furthermore, soybean oil has been used as the feedstock in the preparation of biodiesel by KNa/ZIF-8@GO-catalyzed transesterification process. The effects of various reaction parameters, including methanol/oil molar ratio, reaction time, catalyst mass, and reaction temperature were investigated. A remarkable conversion of 98% was obtained using a 8% (wt/wt oil) of KNa/ZIF-8@GO catalyst, methanol/oil molar ratio of 18 : 1, and reflux temperature of methanol over a period of 8 h. The solid catalyst can be reused over at least three cycles under mild reaction conditions.

     

Preparation of biodiesel catalysed by KF/CaO with ultrasound

Biodiesel, chemically consists of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) produced by methanolysis of natural triglycerides, such as animal fats and vegetable oils, is a kind of biomass energy, which is renewable and ecofriendly. In this article, KF/CaO was used as solid base catalyst for transesterification of soya bean oil and methanol, while ultrasound as supplementary means. Compared to mechanical stirring, ultrasound treatment is an effective method to increase the yield of FAME and shorten reaction time. By single-factor method, the optimisation of reaction conditions has been studied. The research showed that the optimum reaction conditions were: w(catalyst)/w(oil): 3%, reaction temperature: 65°C, n(methanol)/n(oil): 12, reaction time: 1?h, sound intensity: 1.01?W?cm(-2), frequency: 20?kHz, the yield of FAME could be 97%.     

CaO-MgO@CoFe_2O_4磁性固体碱的制备及其大豆油酯交换反应催化性能

以草酸盐为前驱体采用两步法制备了一种以CaO-MgO作为活性组分,以CoFe_2O_4作为磁核的磁性固体碱催化剂,并用于大豆油与甲醇的酯交换反应合成生物柴油。对制备的磁性固体碱催化剂进行了磁滞回线、X-射线衍射(XRD)、CO_2-TPD及透射电镜(TEM)表征。考察了不同核壳物质的量比、焙烧温度、反应温度、反应时间、醇油物质的量比以及催化剂用量等因素对大豆油转化为生物柴油产率的影响。结果表明,采用核壳物质的量比为1∶6、焙烧温度为700℃所制备的CaO-MgO@CoFe_2O_4催化剂,当醇油物质的量比为12、催化剂用量为大豆油质量的1.0%时,在65℃下反应时间3 h,生物柴油收率高达97.1%。该催化剂具有较好的重复利用性能,重复利用四次后生物柴油的收率仍可达90%。     

Clean synthesis of biodiesel over solid acid catalysts of sulfonated mesopolymers

FDU-15-SO₃H, a solid acid material prepared from the sulfonation of FDU-15 mesoporous polymer, has been demonstrated to serve as an efficient catalyst in the esterification of palmitic acid with methanol as well as in the transesterification of fatty acid-edible oil mixture. FDU-15-SO₃H achieved an acid conversion of 99.0% when the esterification was carried out at 343 K with a methanol/palmitic acid molar ratio of 6:1 and 5 wt% catalyst loading. It was capable of giving 99.0% yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) when the transesterification of soybean oil was performed at 413 K and the methanol/oil weight ratio of 1:1. FDU-15-SO₃H was further applied to the transesterification/esterification of the oil mixtures with a varying ratio of soybean oil to palmitic acid, which simulated the feedstock with a high content of free fatty acids. The yield of FAME reached 95% for the oil mixtures containing 30 wt% palmitic acid. This indicated the sulfonated mesopolymer was a potential catalyst for clean synthesis of fuel alternative of biodiesel from the waste oil without further purification.     

Immobilized different amines on modified magnetic nanoparticles as catalyst for biodiesel production from soybean oil

Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were modified with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and (3-chloropropyl)trimethoxysilane (CPTMS) followed by immobilization with different amines such as guanine, piperazine, methylamine, morpholine, aniline, ethylenediamine, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and melamine, designated as Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@CPTMS@amine (nanocatalyst). The prepared nanocatalysts were characterized by means of FTIR, XRD, VSM, SEM, and TEM. Trans-esterification reactions of soybean oil with methanol were then carried out in the presence of the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@CPTMS@amine as a nanocatalyst. Optimization of the reaction parameters revealed that the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs or biodiesel) is obtained in 6–96% yields by using methanol to oil molar ratio of 36 in the presence of 6% of nanocatalysts containing melamine and guanine, respectively, at 160 °C within 3 h. The stability and reusability of the catalyst as well as the effect of reaction parameters on the FAME yield are described in this paper.     

Epoxide polymerization—IV. Ethylene oxide polymerization using the diphenylzinc-water system in benzene at 60°

The diphenylzinc-water system was used as catalyst for ethylene oxide polymerization in benzene solution at 60°. The system is greatly influenced by the molar ratio of water to diphenylzinc. H₂O/Ph₂Zn, the maximum catalyst activity being found for a ratio of unity. Ph₂Zn alone and molar ratios of 0.25, 0.5, 1.5, 1.75 and 2.0 gave very low conversion to polymer. For a molar ratio of unity, the yield of polymer and the molecular weight increase with time. The reaction is first order with respect to monomer with k_P = 5.7 × 10^?5 sec^?1 mol^?1 l.     

Immobilization of Pseudomonas fluorescens Lipase onto Magnetic Nanoparticles for Resolution of 2-Octanol

The lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens (Lipase AK, AKL) was immobilized onto the magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles via hydrophobic interaction. Enzyme loading and immobilization yield were determined as 21.4?±?0.5?mg/g and 49.2?±?1.8?%, respectively. The immobilized AKL was successfully used for resolution of 2-octanol with vinyl acetate used as acyl donor. Effects of organic solvent, water activity, substrate ratio, and temperature were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the preferred isomer for AKL is the (R)-2-octanol and the highest enantioselectivity (E?=?71.5?±?2.2) was obtained with a higher enzyme activity (0.197?±?0.01???mol/mg/min). The results also showed that the immobilized lipase could be easily separated from reaction media by the magnetic steel and remained 89?% of its initial activity as well as the nearly unchanged enantioselectivity after five consecutive cycles, indicating a high stability in practical operation.     

Production of hydrogen by oxidative steam reforming of methanol over Cu/SiO2 catalysts

Selective production of hydrogen by oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM) was studied over Cu/SiO₂ catalyst using fixed bed flow reactor. Textural and structural properties of the catalyst were analyzed by various instrumental methods. TPR analysis illustrates that the reduction temperature peak was observed between 510?K and 532?K at various copper loadings and calcination temperatures and the peaks shifted to higher temperature with increasing copper loading and calcination temperature. The XRD and XPS analysis demonstrates that the copper existed in different oxidation states at different conditions: Cu₂O, Cu⁰, CuO and Cu(OH)₂ in uncalcined sample; CuO in calcined sample: Cu₂O and metallic Cu after reduction at 600?K and Cu⁰ and CuO after catalytic test. TEM analysis reveals that at various copper loadings, the copper particle size is in the range between 3.0?nm and 3.8?nm. The Cu particle size after catalytic test increased from 3.6 to 4.8?nm, which is due to the formation of oxides of copper as evidenced from XRD and XPS analysis. The catalytic performance at various Cu loadings shows that with increasing Cu loading from 4.7 to 17.3?wt%, the activity increases and thereafter it decreases. Effect of calcination shows that the sample calcined at 673?K exhibited high activity. The O₂/CH₃OH and H₂O/CH₃OH molar ratios play important role in reaction rate and product distribution. The optimum molar ratios of O₂/CH₃OH and H₂O/CH₃OH are 0.25 and 0.1, respectively. When the reaction temperature varied from 473 to 548?K, the methanol conversion and H₂ production rate are in the range of 21.9–97.5% and 1.2–300.9?mmol?kg^?1?s^?1, respectively. The CO selectivity is negligible at these temperatures. Under the optimum conditions (17.3?wt%, Cu/SiO₂; calcination temperature 673?K; 0.25 O₂/CH₃OH molar ratio, 0.5 H₂O/CH₃OH molar ratio and reaction temperature 548?K), the maximum hydrogen yield obtained was 2.45?mol of hydrogen per mole of methanol. The time on stream stability test showed that the Cu/SiO₂ catalyst is quite stable for 48?h.     

Effects of Ionic Liquids on the Growth of Arthrobacter simplex and Improved Biodehydrogenation in an Ionic Liquid-Containing System with Immobilized Cells

Dehydrogenated derivatives of corticosteroids are usually more effective than their precursors in treating diseases. In this study, the toxicity of seven water-miscible ionic liquid and three organic solvents to the biocatalyst Arthrobacter simplex UR016 was tested to evaluate the possibility of biodehydrogenation from 17??-hydroxy-16??-methyl-pregna-4,9(11)-diene-3,20-dione (HMPDD) to 17??-hydroxy-16??-methyl-pregna-1,4,9(11)-triene-3,20-dione (HMPTD) in an ionic liquid-containing system. Although most tested room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) showed higher toxicities to A. simplex UR016 than organic solvents, bacterial growth was promoted in the presence of [EMIM](l)-Lac or [BMIM](l)-Lac at concentrations below 2.5?mmol/l, especially [EMIM](l)-Lac, presented the lowest toxicity to A. simplex. Following immobilization investigations, a conversion ratio of 89.9?% was achieved with a cell biomass of 10?g/l (dry cell weight/reaction mixture volume) in the polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified calcium alginate gel bead, a suitable matrix for cell immobilization. Further studies indicated that the conversion ratio can be improved by increasing cell loading to 60 beads per flask (containing 30?ml reaction mixture). Under optimal conditions with a [EMIM](l)-Lac content of 0.3?%, the conversion ratio reached 93.4?%, the highest value ever reported.