Biodiesel Production:
Lifecycle of Biodiesel Production
Barry Latham, M.A.Ed.
Biodiesel Production & Curriculum
Chemistry & Physics Instructor
Chicago Heights, Illinois
Vegetable Oil Sources
(Small Scale)
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In the U.S., most biodiesel is made from
soybean oil or recycled cooking oils
◦ Typically collected as waste oil from restaurants
◦ Restaurants pay to have it removed, but you remove it
for free
◦ Times are changing, though, and waste oil is getting
expensive (regionally dependent)
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Animals fats, other vegetable oils, and other
recycled oils can also be used to produce
biodiesel
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Blends of all kinds of fats and oils may be used
to produce biodiesel
Vegetable Oil Sources
(Acreage Yields)
Crop
US Gal/acre
oil palm
635
coconut
287
jatropha
202
olive
129
rapeseed
127
peanut
113
cocoa (cacao)
110
sunflower
102
safflower
83
sesame
74
linseed (flax)
51
hazelnut
51
soybean
48
hemp
39
corn (maize)
18
Soybean Oil Extraction Plant
What Type of Vehicles Can Use
Biodiesel Blends?
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Blends such as B2 and B5 can be used
safely in any compression-ignition engine
◦ Light-duty and heavy-duty diesel cars
◦ Trucks, tractors, boats
◦ Electrical generators
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Any diesel engine can use any percentage
of biodiesel
◦ <1994 engines need updating (1st year of use)
 Viton fuel lines, frequent fuel filter changes
 Biodiesel will corrode natural rubber
◦ >1994 engines only need filter changes
Biodiesel Uses
Beyond Diesel Vehicles
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a corrosion preventative
a parts cleaner and degreaser
a graffiti remover
a paint and resin cleanup
a hand cleaner
a crop adjuvant
a metal working lubricant
a screen printing ink remover
aircraft fuel
home heating oil
a lubricity additive for diesel fuel
an adhesive remover
a mold release agent
an asphalt cleanup agent
an oil spill cleanup and
bioremediation agent
◦ an auto wax remover
Environmental Benefits
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Only alternative fuel in the country to have successfully
completed the EPA-required Tier I and Tier II health effects
testing under the Clean Air Act (2000)
◦ Conclusively demonstrated biodiesel’s significant reduction of
virtually all regulated emissions
◦ Showed biodiesel does not pose a threat to human health
Biodiesel contains no sulfur or aromatics
 Use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in
substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon
monoxide and particulate matter
 U.S. DoE showed that the production and use of biodiesel,
compared to petroleum diesel, resulted in a 78.5% reduction
in carbon dioxide emissions
 Biodiesel has a positive energy balance
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◦ For every unit of energy needed to produce a gallon of biodiesel,
5.28 units of energy are gained
Closed-Carbon Cycle
Energy Security Benefits
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Biodiesel can be manufactured using
existing industrial production capacity
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1996 estimates
◦ Annual military costs of securing foreign oil
was $57 billion
◦ Foreign tax credits accounted for another
estimated $4 billion annually
◦ Environmental costs were estimated at $45
per barrel
Economic Benefits
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2001 USDA study
◦ Annual increase of 200 million gallons of soybased biodiesel demand would boost total crop
cash receipts by $5.2 billion cumulatively by 2010
 Average net farm income increase of $300 million per
year
 The price for a bushel of soybeans would increase by an
average of 17 cents annually during the ten-year period
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Positive performance attributes
◦ Increased cetane, high fuel lubricity, high oxygen
content
Quality Benefits
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Biodiesel is registered as a fuel and fuel additive with
the EPA
Meets clean diesel standards established by the
California Air Resources Board (CARB)
B100 has been designated as an alternative fuel by the
U.S. DoE and the U.S. DOT
December 2001- the American Society of Testing and
Materials (ASTM) approved a specification (D6751)
for biodiesel fuel
The National Biodiesel Board formed the National
Biodiesel Accreditation Commission (NBAC) to audit
fuel producers and marketers in order to enforce fuel
quality standards in the US
◦ NBAC issues a ‘Certified Biodiesel Marketer’ seal of
approval for biodiesel marketers that have met all
requirements of fuel accreditation audits
Safety Benefits
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Biodiesel is nontoxic
◦ Far less damage than petroleum diesel if
spilled or otherwise released to the
environment
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Biodiesel is less combustible
◦ Flashpoint for biodiesel is >150°C
◦ Petroleum diesel is ~52°C
◦ Preferred for marine applications
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Biodiesel is safe to handle, store, and
transport
EPAct Benefits
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November 1998- Congress approved the use of
biodiesel as an Energy Policy Act (EPAct)
compliance strategy
◦ 450 gallons of pure biodiesel and burning it in new or
existing diesel vehicles in at least a 20% blend with
diesel fuel
The Congressional Budget Office and the U.S.
Dept. of Ag have confirmed that the biodiesel
option is the least-cost alternative fuel option for
meeting the Federal government’s EPAct
compliance requirements
 Biodiesel offers an immediate and seamless way
to transition existing diesel vehicles into a cleaner
burning fleet
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Green House Gas Benefits
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Total life cycle GHG emissions from the
fossil fuel that is displaced
◦ 82.32 g/MJ
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Fossil fuel GHG emissions avoided by using
biodiesel instead of fossil fuel
◦ 39.76 g/MJ
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Net GHG emissions saved by producing and
using biodiesel
◦ 33.32 g/MJ
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Net fraction of GHG emissions saved by
producing and using biodiesel
◦ 40.5%
Glycerin Treatment
MeOH Removal
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MeOH is still present and needs to be removed
before it can be used
◦ NOT a co-product, just used in excess
◦ Common misconception that MeOH is produced
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Distillation- separation of liquids based on
boiling points
◦ MeOH has a lower boiling point than glycerin
 Turns to vapor first
 Can be condensed, collected and reused
◦ Glycerin turns thicker and darker
◦ Heating element, not flame, is used
Glycerin Distillation (Large Scale)
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~$1M to build Methanol
Recovery & Glycerin
Purification Process
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Crude (80% pure)
◦ By-product of biodiesel
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Tech Grade (>97% pure)
◦ Industrial applications only
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Refined (>99.7% pure)
◦ USP & FCC Grade
◦ Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,
food
Glycerin Price Trends
Glycerin Supply Trend
Glycerin Co-Product (Small Scale)
Soap (1L batch)
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Remove the residual (toxic) methanol
first
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KOH-based biodiesel makes liquid soap
glycerin
◦ NaOH-based production makes bar soap
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At 50°C, preheat any of the following
ratios before mixing for 5 minutes
◦ Glycerin
◦ Water
◦ KOH
33mL
7mL
1g
47mL
5mL
1g
54mL
5mL
1g
◦ Can not use KOH and NaOH interchangeably
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Fragrances and dyes can be added
◦ D-limonene smells like oranges and is
cheaply made/purchased
◦ Most dyes muddy the dark brown color
Synthesis from Glycerol
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Propylene Glycol- similar applications as glycerol
◦ “Low-pressure hydrogenolysis of glycerol to propylene
glycol.” Applied Catalyst A: General A 2005, 225-231.
◦ “Reducing Byproduct Formation during Conversion of
Glycerol to Propylene Glycol.” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.
2008, 47, 6878–6884.
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Hydrogen- fuel applications
◦ “A Comparative Thermodynamic and Experimental
Analysis on Hydrogen Production by Steam
Reforming of Glycerin.” Energy & Fuels 2007, 21,
2306-2310.
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Acrolein- polymers, acetonitrile, polyurethane
◦ “Low-Pressure Packed-Bed Gas-Phase Dehydration of
Glycerol to Acrolein.” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2009, 48,
3279–3283.
Glycerin Co-Product
Other Uses
 Health supplement
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Increases blood volume
Enhances temperature regulation
Improves exercise performance in the heat
Helps "hyperhydrate" the body by increasing blood volume levels
and helping to delay dehydration
◦ Tocopherol (vitamin E)
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Other uses
◦ Glycerine is also a source of lecithin
 fat emulsifier and a vital component of all cell membranes in the body
◦ Skin moisturizer, lotion, deodorant, makeup, toothpaste, sweets
and cakes, pharmaceuticals and patent medicines, paper
manufacturing, printing ink, textiles, plastics, and electronic
components
Glycerin Co-Product
Other Uses
Paint brush cleaner
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Rinse brush as much as possible with water
Work brush in a small container with about 20 mL of glycerin
Rinse brush under water until all milky-ness is removed
Repeat glycerin stage with fresh glycerin as needed
Check that brush doesn't smell of paint and store brush as
usual.
Safe sweetener:
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Glycerin is an alcohol and is used as a preservative
It is very sweet, yet it contains no sugar
This makes it an ideal sweetener for patients who cannot take
sugar