Biodiesel production Review

SHREE M. & N. VIRANI SCIENCE COLLEGE, RAJKOT
(ACCREDITED AT THE “A” LEVEL BY NAAC)
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
Review Article On
Biodiesel Production
Submitted to
Mrs. Shweta Bhatt
Department of biotechnology
Submitted by
Gautam parmar
(B.Sc. Biotechnology- Sem: 6th)
By gomzzy at 12:28 pm, Oct 15, 2016

SHREE M. & N. VIRANI SCIENCE COLLEGE, RAJKOT
(ACCREDITED AT THE “A” LEVEL BY NAAC & STAR COLLEGE BY DBT)
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
Virani/Biotech/2014 Exam Seat No. 245
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that PARMAR GAUTAM has undertaken the Review Articles
entitled Biodiesel Production in Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology prescribed by
Shree Manibhai Virani and Navalben Virani Science College affiliated to Saurashtra
University, Rajkot for the academic year 2014.
Dr. Shivani Patel
Head
Signature of Guide Department of Biotechnology
Shree M. & N. Virani Science College
Rajkot- 360005.
Examiners:
1. Dr. SHIVANI PATEL
Place: RAJKOT

Declaration
I, hereby declare that the review articles entitled, Biodiesel Production which is
being submitted as a partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of Science in
Biotechnology, is carried out by me. The information and articles referred from
authors, journals and library are duly acknowledged.
I further declare that this manuscript written by me has not been previously submitted
to this or any other University/Institute/College for any degree/diploma/certificate.

Biodiesel production
Gautam parmar, Shweta Bhatt*
Dept. of Biotechnology, Shree M & N Virani Science College, Rajkot, Gujarat-360005
gparmar183@gmail.com
Abstract
The term biofuel is used here to mean any liquid fuel made from Plant material that can be used
as a substitute for petroleum-derived fuel. Biofuels can include relatively familiar ones, such as
ethanol made from sugar cane or diesel-like fuel made from soybean oil, to less familiar fuels
such as dimethyl ether (DME) or Fischer-Tropsch liquids (FTL) made from Lignocellulosic
biomass. Around 150 years ago the idea of using vegetable oil to produce bio-diesel was
invented and is considered as simple and effective way to produce bio-diesel. Biodiesel
production – Biodiesel production is based on trans-esterification of vegetable oils and fats
through the addition of methanol (or other alcohols) and a catalyst, giving glycerol as a co-
product. Feedstock includes rapeseeds, sunflower seeds, soy seeds and palm oil seeds from
which the oil is extracted chemically or mechanically. Advanced processes include there
placement of methanol of fossil origin, by bioethanol to produce fatty acid ethyl ester instead of
fatty acid methyl ether (the latter being the traditional biodiesel). In order to expand the relatively
small resource base of biodiesel, new processes have been developed to use Recycled cooking
oils and animal fats though these are limited in volume. Hydrogenation of oils and fats is a new
process that is entering the market. It can produce a biodiesel that can be blended with fossil
diesel up to50% without any engine modifications. Synthetic biofuel production via biomass
gasification and Catalytic conversion to liquid using Fischer-Tropsch process (biomass
conversion to liquids BTL) offers a variety of potential biofuel production processes that may be
suited to current and future engine technologies.
Keywords- DME (dimethyl ether, BTL (biomass conversion to liquids), Hydrogenation, FTL (Fischer-Tropsch
liquids), Catalytic.
What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is simply a liquid fuel derived

from vegetable oils and fats, which has
similar combustion properties to regular
petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel can be
produced from straight vegetable oil, animal
oil/fats, tallow and waste cooking oil.
Biodiesel is biodegradable, nontoxic, and
has significantly fewer emissions than
petroleum-based diesel when burned.
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel similar to
conventional or “fossil/petroleum” diesel.
The process used to convert these oils to
biodiesel is called transesterification. The
largest possible source of suitable oil comes
from oil crops such as soybean, rapeseed,
corn, and sunflower. At present, oil straight
from the agricultural industry represents the
greatest potential source, but it is not being
used for commercial production of biodiesel
simply because the raw oil is too expensive.
After the cost of converting it to biodiesel
has been added, the price is too high to
compete with petroleum diesel. Waste
vegetable oil can often be obtained for free
or already treated for a small price. One
disadvantage of using waste oil is it must be
treated to remove impurities like free fatty
acids (FFA) before conversion to biodieselis
possible
History:
The concept of using vegetable oil as an
engine fuel likely dates to when Rudolf
Diesel (1858-1913) developed the first
engine to run on peanut oil, as he
demonstrated at the World Exhibition in
Paris in 1900.
Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Diesel firmly believed the utilization
of a biomass fuel to be the real future of his
engine. He wanted to provide farmers the
opportunity to produce their own fuel. In
1911, he said, "The diesel engine can be fed
with vegetable oils and would help
considerably in the development of
agriculture of the countries which use it."
"The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels
may seem insignificant today. But such
oilsmay become, in the course of time, as
important as the petroleum and coal tar
products of the present time."Rudolf Diesel,
1912 Unfortunately, Rudolf Diesel died in
1913 before his vision of a vegetable oil
powered engine was fully realized. At the

time of Diesel’s death, the petroleum
industry was rapidly developing and
producing a cheap by-product called "diesel
fuel" that would power a modified "diesel
engine". Thus, clean vegetable oil was
forgotten as a renewable source of power.
Modern diesels are now designed to run on a
less viscous (easier flowing) fuel than
straight vegetable oil, but, in times of fuel
shortages, cars and trucks were successfully
run on preheated peanut oil and animal fat.
In the mid 1970’s, fuel shortages spurred
interest in diversifying fuel resources, and
thus biodiesel as fatty esters was developed
as an alternative to petroleum diesel. Later,
in the 1990’s, interest was rising due to the
large pollution reduction benefits coming
from the use of biodiesel. Today's diesel
engines require a clean-burning, stable fuel
that will operate under a variety of
conditions. The resurgence of biodiesel has
been affected by legislation and regulations
in all countries. Many of the regulation and
mandates center around promoting a
country’s agricultural economy, national
security, and reducing climate
pollution/change.
Making Biodiesel: Transesterification
Transesterification of natural glycerides with
methanol to methylesters is a technically
important reaction that has been used
extensively in the soap and detergent
manufacturing industry worldwide for many
years. Almost all biodiesel is produced in a
similar chemical process using base
catalyzed transesterification as it is the most
economical process, requiring only low
temperatures and pressures while producing
a 98% conversion yield. The
transesterification process is the reaction of
a triglyceride (fat/oil) with an alcohol to
form esters and glycerol. A triglyceride has
a glycerin molecule as its base with three
long chain fatty acids attached. The
characteristics of the fat are determined by
the nature of the fatty acids attached to the
glycerin. The nature of the fatty acids can,
in turn, affect the characteristics of the
biodiesel.
During the esterification process, the
triglyceride is reacted with alcohol in the
presence of a catalyst, usually a strong
alkaline like sodium hydroxide. The alcohol
reacts with the fatty acids to form the mono-
alkyl ester, or biodiesel, and crude glycerol.
In most production, methanol or ethanol is
the alcohol used (methanol produces methyl
esters, ethanol produces ethyl esters) and is

base catalyzed by either potassium or
sodium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide has
been found more suitable for the ethyl ester
biodiesel production, but either base can be
used for methyl ester production.
The figure below shows the chemical
process for methyl ester biodiesel. The
reaction between the fat or oil and the
alcohol is a reversible reaction, so the
alcohol must be added in excess to drive the
reaction towards the right and ensure
complete
conversion.
The products of the reaction are the
biodiesel itself and glycerol. A successful
transesterification reaction is signified by
the separation of the methyl ester (biodiesel)
and glycerol layers after the reaction time.
The heavier co-product, glycerol, settles out
and may be sold as is or purified for use in
other industries, e.g. pharmaceutical,
cosmetics, and detergents.
Feedstock material-
Chinese tallow tree, Seashore Mallow,
Microalgae, Jatropha, peanuts, Sunflower,
rapeseed, Corn, Soybean, Camelina, Canola,
& Brassica Juncea are some the sources for
biodiesel production. They are mainly used
for production of biodiesel. Along with oil it
requires a catalyst to speed up the reaction
and here we use either NaOH or KOH and
last but not the least thing which encourages
the process to become productive is use of
alcohol i.e. either ethanol or methanol.
Characteristic feature-
 *Non toxic (its toxicity is less than
10% of than for ordinary table salt).
 *Biodegradable (degrades in about
the same time as sugar).
 *Essentially free of sulfur and
carcinogenic benzene.
 *Derived from renewable, recycled
resources, which don’t add
significantly to the greenhouse gas
accumulation associated with
petroleum derived fuels.
 *100% reduction of net carbon
dioxide.
 *100% reduction of sulfur dioxide.
 *10-50% reduction of carbon
monoxide.

Biodiesel has a viscosity similar to
petroleum diesel and can be used as an
additive in formulations of diesel to
increase the lubricity. Biodiesel can be
used in pure form (B100) or may be
blended with petroleum diesel at any
concentration in most modern diesel
engines. Biodiesel will degrade natural
rubber gaskets and hoses in vehicles
(mostly found in vehicles manufactured
before 1992), although these tend to wear
out naturally and most likely will have
already been replaced with Viton type seals
and hoses which are nonreactive to
biodiesel. Biodiesel's higher lubricity index
compared to petroleum diesel is an
advantage and can contribute to longer fuel
injector life.
Biodiesel is a better solvent than petroleum
diesel and has been known to break down
deposits of residue in the fuel lines of
vehicles that have previously been run on
petroleum diesel. Fuel filters may become
clogged with particulates if a quick
transition to pure biodiesel is made, as
biodiesel “cleans” the engine in the process.
It is, therefore, recommended to change the
fuel filter within 600-800 miles after first
switching to a biodiesel blend.
Biodiesel's commercial fuel quality is
measured by the ASTM standard designated
D 6751. The standards ensure that biodiesel
is pure and the following important factors
in the fuel production process are satisfied:
 Complete reaction
 Removal of glycerin
 Removal of catalyst
 Removal of alcohol
 Absence of free fatty acids
 Low sulfur content
Benefits/Advantages of Biodiesel:
1-Biodiesel is biorenewable. Feedstocks
can be renewed one or more times in a
generation.
2-Biodiesel is carbon neutral. Plants use
the same amount of CO2 to make the oil
that is released when the fuel is burned.
3-Biodiesel is rapidly biodegradable and
completely nontoxic, meaning spillages
represent far less risk than petroleum diesel
spillages.
4-Biodiesel has a higher flash point than
petroleum diesel, making it safer in the
event of a crash.
5-Biodiesel can be made from recycled
vegetable and animal oils or fats.
6-Biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable.

It reduces the emission of harmful
pollutants, mainly particulates, from diesel
engines (80% less CO2 emissions, 100%
less sulfur dioxide). But emissions of
nitrogen oxide, the precursor of ozone, are
increased.
7-Biodiesel has a high cetane number of
above 100, compared to only 40 for
petroleum diesel fuel. The cetane number is
a measure of a fuel's ignition quality. The
high cetane numbers of biodiesel contribute
to easy cold starting and low idle noise.
8-The use of biodiesel can extend the life of
diesel engines because it is more lubricating
and, furthermore, power output is relatively
unaffected by biodiesel.
9-Biodiesel replaces the exhaust odor of
petroleum diesel with a more pleasant smell
of popcorn or French fries
Opportunities and Outlook
The initial results from the study
Biodiesel 2020: A Global Market Survey
find that new developers, farmers, feedstock
providers, producers, and investors who can
meet growing demands for supply are
expected to benefit from this emerging
market. In addition, this study finds key
advantages in the future will be available to
producers and investors to supply future
needs with new and improved technologies;
alternative feed stocks with higher yields
such as jatropha and algae biodiesel;
production scalability and flexibility
options; supply chain, distribution and co-
location strategies; innovative risk
management strategies; and industry-
friendly government targets and tax
incentives committed to promoting the
awareness and growth of the industry.
The global markets for biodiesel are
entering a period of rapid, transitional
growth, creating both uncertainty and
opportunity. The first generation biodiesel
markets in Europe and the US have reached
impressive biodiesel production capacity
levels, but remain constrained by feedstock
availability. In the BRIC nations of Brazil,
India and China, key government initiatives
are spawning hundreds of new

opportunities for feedstock development,
biodiesel production, and expor Biodiesel
feedstock markets world-wide are in
transition from increasingly expensive first
generation feedstocks soy, rapeseed and
palm oil to alternative, lower cost, non-food
feedstocks. As a result, a surge in demand
for alternative feedstocks is driving new
growth opportunities in the sector.
Who are using Biodiesel?
Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine
. Here are some maui biodiesel pioneers
*Pacific biodiesel – 6 trucks
*Shaun stenshol/pam wolf – 2000
volkswagen golf TDI (over 70,000
miles)
*Maui Recycling Service – 5 recycling
trucks(combined, over 165000 miles)
*Paul Brandt – 1981 Volkswagon
truck(over 50,000 miles)
* Woody Harrelson – 2000 Volkswagon
Beetle TDI
* Willie Nelson – Volkswagon jetta TDI,
2004 Mercedes, Ford Excursion
* Maui Country – 20% blend (B20) in most
Country vehicles
*Maui EKO Compost – tractors
* Pukalani golf course –well pump
*Maui Community College – generator
Several condominiums use biodiesel in
generators. Biodiesel is extensively used in
Europe, especially in Germany and France.
Conclusion-
As a substitute for fast depleting fossil fuel.
Biodiesel had come to stay. In future, it
should also serve to reduce and maintain
the price of automobile fuel. The under
exploited and unexploited vegetable oils are
good sources of biofuels. Our country is
endowed with many such plants. Research
is being carried out now to convert
vegetable oils into biodiesel through
biotechnological processes.
A national mission on biodiesel has already
been proposed by the committee
comprising six micro missions covering all
aspects of plantation, procurement of seed,
extraction of oil, transesterification,
blending & trade, and research and
development. Diesel forms nearly 40% of
the energy consumed in the form of
hydrocarbon fuels, and its demand is
estimated at 40 million tons.
Today 21 countries worldwide produce
Biodiesel. By developing methods to use
cheap and low quality lipids as feed stocks,
it is hoped that a cheaper biodiesel can be
produced, thus competing economically
with petroleum resources

References-
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Congress of Chemical and Process
Engineering CHISA 2012 25 – 29 August
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2. Hindryawati N. et al, (2014),
Transesterification of used cooking oil over
alkali metal (Li, Na, K) supported rice husk

silica as potential solid base catalyst,
Engineering Science and Technology, an
International Journal, 95-103.
3. Ferreira et al, (2008), Biodiesel
production from vegetable frying oil &
ethanol using enzymatic catalysis,
Bioenergy: Challenges and Opportunities,
1-6.
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of biodiesel from second-used cooking oil,
International Conference on Sustainable
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of biodiesel using the microwave technique,
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15. Carlini M. et al, (2014), A Pilot-Scale
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18. Md N.N et al, (2009), Biodiesel from
cotton seed oil and its effect on the Engine
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