Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya

Najochak, Pathankot

Project Work
of Chemistry
SESSION: 2019-20

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Mr. Ranjan Dhiman Sushant
(PGT Chemistry) XII ‘Science’
CBSE Examination
Roll No.-
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been
possible without the kind support and help of many individuals. I would
like to thank my school for providing me with facilities required to do
my project. I am highly indebted to my Chemistry teacher, Mr. Ranjan
Dhiman, for his invaluable guidance which has sustained my efforts in
all the stages of this project work. I would also like to thank my parents,
fellow classmates and the laboratory assistant in developing the project
and to the people who have willingly helped me out with their abilities.
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Sushant of class XII-Science has successfully

completed the Chemistry project entitled ‘Formation of Bio-diesel’
under the guidance of Chemistry teacher, Mr. Ranjan Dhiman, in
particular fulfillment of the curriculum of Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) leading to the award of annual examination of the
year 2019-20.

Teacher In-Charge External Examiner

 OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to study BIO-DIESEL – its uses,

preparation process, advantages as compared to other fuels,
some of its disadvantages and also to make other people aware
of this eco-friendly non-polluting source of energy.
 INDEX

Sr. No. Contents Page No.

1. Objective 5

2. Introduction to Green Chemistry 6-7

3. Introduction to Bio-diesel 8

4. Uses of Bio-diesel 9-10

5. Preparation of Bio-diesel 11-12

6. Reactions involved 13-14

7. Bio-diesel fuel features 15-16

8. Disadvantages of Bio-diesel 17-18

9. Conclusion 19

10. Bibliography 20
 INTRODUCTION TO GREEN CHEMISTRY
One of the most important new aspects of chemistry is the development of
GREEN CHEMISTRY supported by the American Chemical Society, the USEPA and
other federal agencies. Green chemistry has emerged as an important aspect of
all chemistry. Green chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with
developing processes and products to reduce or eliminate hazardous substances.
One of the goals of green chemistry is to prevent pollution at its source, as
opposed to dealing with pollution after it has occurred.

Some principles of Green chemistry:-

1. Prevention: It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it
has been created.
2. Designing Safer Chemicals: Chemical products should be designed to affect
their desired function while minimizing their toxicity.
3. Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis: Wherever practicable, synthetic
methods should be designed to use and generate substances that possess
little or no toxicity to human health and the environment.
4. Design for Energy Efficiency: Energy requirements of chemical processes
should be recognized for their environmental and economic impacts and
should be minimized. If possible, synthetic methods should be conducted at
ambient temperature and pressure.
5. Use of Renewable Feedstock: A raw material or feedstock should be
renewable rather than depleting wherever technically and economically
practicable.
6. Catalysis: Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to
stoichiometric reagents.
7. Inherently Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention: Substances and the
form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen to
minimize the potential for chemical accidents, including releases,
explosions and fires.
8. Design for Degradation: Chemical products should be designed so that at
the end of their function they break down into innocuous degradation
products and do not persist in the environment.
 WHAT IS BIO-DIESEL?

Bio-diesel is an eco-friendly, alternative diesel fuel prepared from domestic

renewable resources i.e. vegetable oils (edible or non- edible oil) and animal fats.
These natural oils and fats are made up mainly of triglycerides. These triglycerides
when compared, show striking similarity to petroleum derived diesel and are
called "Bio - diesel”. Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel
fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl (methyl, ethyl, or propyl) esters. Biodiesel is
typically made by chemically reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, soybean
oil, animal fat (tallow) with an alcohol producing fatty acid esters. Biodiesel is not
the same as straight vegetable oil or animal fat. A normal diesel engine will
eventually be damaged through the use of straight vegetable oil or straight animal
fat fuel. Vegetable oils or animal fats must be converted into biodiesel by reacting
the oil or fat with an alcohol and a catalyst. This process is referred to
as “transesterification.”
 USES OF BIO-DIESEL
 Transportation and in Diesel-Engines: Bio-diesel can be used with some
precautions in diesel engines in many sectors including on-road vehicles
(for transportation), off-road mobile equipment & vehicles and stationary
equipment. Bio-diesel fuel can also be blended with petroleum diesel in any
percentage without reducing vehicle fuel economy.

 Producing Hydrogen for Fuel-Cell Vehicles: Bio-diesel can be turned into a

hydrogen stream for use in an adjoining fuel-cell.

 Generating Electricity: In addition to producing hydrogen for vehicle fuel,

fuel-cells have power-generation applications that could utilize bio-diesel.
Ultimately, bio-diesel can be used to generate electricity.

 Heating, Cooking and Illumination: Bio-diesel can be used as home heating

oil in commercial and domestic boilers. It’s possible to use bio-diesel
instead of kerosene in some non-wick lanterns and stoves.

 Cleaning-up Tools and Grease: B100 (100% bio-diesel) is such a good

solvent that it can clean dirty or greasy engine or other machine parts. It is
just put in the machine or part of machine which needs cleaning. Bio-diesel
makes an awesome bike-chain degreaser /lubricator. It can also be used as
an industrial solvent for metal cleaning.

 Adding Lubricity to Diesel Fuel: Bio-diesel naturally has less than 15 ppm
sulphur concentration anyway, and adding just 1 to 2% bio-diesel can
restore the lubricity of diesel fuel.
 Removing Paint and Adhesives: Bio-diesel can replace the exceedingly
toxic products designed for paint removal and can be used to remove
adhesive residues, like those left by duct tape.

 Other uses: Hand cleaner, crop adjuvant, screen printing ink remover, auto
wax remover, corrosion preventative, etc.
 PREPARATION OF BIO-DIESEL

Requirements:
Vegetable oil, Antifreeze (Methanol), Lye (NaOH), Plastic containers, Funnels,
Plastic bottle with lid, Duct tape, Thermometer.

Steps Involved:
Step 1: Measure out 200 ml of antifreeze and put it in one plastic container.

Step 2: Add in lye so that the antifreeze is absorbed.

Step 3: Cover container and mix well by shaking it. It is mixed when it starts to feel

warm and is foamy. The mixture has now become sodium methoxide.

Step 4: Blend 1 liter of vegetable oil with the sodium methoxide in a blender for

20 minutes.

Step 5: Pour mixture into a bottle and wait 8 hours until the byproduct, glycerin,

separates for the biodiesel. The glycerin will be on the solid on the bottom.

Step 6: Separate out the biodiesel by pouring into a glass bottle.

Step 7: Prepare a wash bottle by poking a small hole in the corner of the bottle

and covering it with duct tape.

Step 8: Wash the biodiesel by pouring it into the wash bottle and adding in ½ a

liter of water. Roll the bottle around to mix it and then remove the duct

tape and drain the water.

Step 9: Repeat the washing process until the biodiesel is clear. This may need to

be done numerous times over the course of a week to complete the

process. Store the biodiesel in a glass container until ready to use.

TESTING THE BIODIESEL

Take an empty spirit lamp and clean it thoroughly. Put sufficient amount of bio-
diesel in it and close it. Put some bio-diesel drop-wise on its wick using a dropper
to make the wick quite wet. Now using a lighter or match-stick, simply ignite the
spirit lamp. The bio-diesel will start to burn.
 REACTIONS INVOLVED
Transesterification
Animal and plant fats and oils are composed of triglycerides, which
are esters formed by the reactions of three free fatty acids and the trihydric
alcohol, glycerol. In the transesterification process, the added alcohol
(commonly, methanol or ethanol) is deprotonated with a base to make it a
stronger nucleophile. As can be seen, the reaction has no other inputs than the
triglyceride and the alcohol. Under normal conditions, this reaction will proceed
either exceedingly slowly or not at all, so heat, as well as catalysts
(acid and/or base) are used to speed the reaction. It is important to note that the
acid or base are not consumed by the transesterification reaction, thus they are
not reactants, but catalysts. Common catalysts for transesterification
include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and sodium methoxide.
Almost all biodiesel is produced from virgin vegetable oils using the base-
catalyzed technique as it is the most economical process for treating virgin
vegetable oils, requiring only low temperatures and pressures and producing over
98% conversion yield (provided the starting oil is low in moisture and free fatty
acids). However, biodiesel produced from other sources or by other methods may
require acid catalysis, which is much slower. Since it is the predominant method
for commercial-scale production, only the base-catalyzed transesterification
process will be described
Triglycerides (1) are reacted with an alcohol such as ethanol
(2) to give ethyl esters of fatty acids
(3) and glycerol
(4) The alcohol reacts with the fatty acids to form the mono-alkyl
ester (biodiesel) and crude glycerol. The reaction between the bio-lipid (fat or
oil) and the alcohol is a reversible reaction so excess alcohol must be added to
ensure complete conversion.
 R1, R2, R3: Alkyl group

Base-catalyzed transesterification mechanism

The transesterification reaction is base catalyzed. Any strong base capable of
deprotonating the alcohol will do (e.g. NaOH, KOH, sodium methoxide, etc.), but
the sodium and potassium hydroxides are often chosen for their cost. The
presence of water causes undesirable base hydrolysis, so the reaction must be
kept dry.
In the transesterification mechanism, the carbonyl carbon of the starting ester
(RCOOR1) undergoes nucleophilic attack by the incoming alkoxide (R2O−) to give a
tetrahedral intermediate, which either reverts to the starting material, or
proceeds to the transesterified product (RCOOR2). The various species exist in
equilibrium, and the product distribution depends on the relative energies of the
reactant and product.
 ADVANTAGES OF BIO-DIESEL

 Produced from Renewable Resources: Biodiesel is a source unlike other

petroleum products that will vanish in years to come. Since it is made
from animal and vegetable fat, it can be produced on demand and also
causes less pollution than petroleum diesel.
 Can be used in existing Diesel Engines: It can be used in existing diesel
engines with little or no modifications at all and can replace fossil
fuels to become the most preferred primary transport energy source.
 Less Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Fossil fuels when burnt
release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that
raises the temperature and causes global warming. To protect the
environment from further heating up, many people have adopted the
use of biofuels. Experts believe that using biodiesel instead of petroleum
diesel can reduce greenhouse gases up to 78 % (e.g., B20 reduces CO2 by
15%).
 Grown, Produced and Distributed Locally: Fossil fuels are limited and
may not be able to fulfill our demand for coal, oil and natural gas after a
certain period. Biodiesel can work as an alternative form of fuel and can
reduce our dependence on foreign suppliers of oil as it is produced from
domestic energy crops. It is produced in local refineries which reduce the
need to import expensive finished product from other countries.
 Cleaner Biofuel Refineries: When crude oil is refined, it releases many
harmful chemical compounds in the environment. Biofuel refineries,
which mainly uses vegetable and animal fat into biofuel releases less
toxic chemicals, if spilled or released to the environment.
 Biodegradable and Non-Toxic: Biodiesel produces less soot (particulate
matter), carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and sulfur dioxide.
It is safe to handle, store and transport as its flashpoint is higher than
150°C whereas the same is about 52°C for petroleum diesel, which
makes it less combustible.
 Better Fuel Economy: Vehicles that run on biodiesel achieve 30% fuel
economy than petroleum based diesel engines which means it makes
fewer trips to gas stations and run more miles per gallon.
 Positive Economic Impact: Biofuels are produced locally and thousands
of people are employed in biofuel production plant. Since biodiesel is
produced from crops, an increase in demand for biodiesel leads to
increase in demand for suitable biofuel crops. It also reduces the cost of
healthcare products as it very less environment polluting.
 Reduced Foreign Oil Dependence: With locally produced biofuels, many
countries have reduced their dependence on fossil fuels. It may not solve
all problems in one blow but a nation can save billions by reducing their
usage on foreign oil.
 More Health Benefits: Air pollution cause more deaths and diseases
than any other form of pollution. Pollutants from gasoline engines when
released in the air, form smog and make thousands of people sick every
year. Biodiesel produce less toxic pollutants than other petroleum
products.
 DISADVANTAGES OF BIO-DIESEL
 Variation in Quality of Biodiesel: Biodiesel is made from variety of
biofuel crops. When the oil is extracted and converted to fuel using
chemical process, the result can vary in ability to produce power. In
short, not all biofuel crops are same as amount of vegetable oil may
vary.

 Not Suitable for use in Low Temperatures: Biodiesel gels in cold

weather but the temperature that it will gel depends on the oil or fat
that was used to make it. The best way to use biodiesel during the colder
months is to blend it with winterized diesel fuel.

 Food Shortage: Since biofuels are made from animal and vegetable fat,
more demand for these products may raise prices for these products and
create food crisis in some countries. For e.g.: the production of biodiesel
from corn may raise its demand and it might become more expensive
which may deprive poor people from having it.

 Increased use of Fertilizers: As more crops are grown to produce

biofuels, more fertilizer is used which can have devastating effect on
environment. The excess use of fertilizers can result in soil erosion and
can lead to land pollution.

 Clogging in Engine: Biodiesel cleans dirt from the engine. This proves to
be an advantage of biofuels but the problem is that this dirt gets
collected in fuel filter and clogs it.
 Regional Suitability: Some regions aren’t suitable for oil producing
crops. The most productive crops can’t be produced anywhere and they
need to be transported to the plants which increases the cost and
amount of emission associated with the production and transportation.
 Water Shortage: The use of water to produce more crops can put
pressure on local water resources. The area where there is water
scarcity, production of crops to be used in making of biofuels is not a
wise idea.
 Monoculture: Monoculture refers to the practice of producing same
crop over and over again rather than producing different crops. While
this results in fetching best price for the farmer but it has some
serious environmental drawbacks. When the same crop is grown over
large acres, the pest population may grow and it may go beyond control.
Without crop rotation, the nutrients of soil are not put back which may
result in soil erosion.
 Use of Petroleum Diesel to Produce Biodiesel: It requires much amount
of energy to produce biodiesel fuel from soy crops as energy is needed
for sowing, fertilizing and harvesting crops. Apart from that, raw material
needs to be transported through trucks which may consume some
additional fuel. Some scientists believe that producing one gallon of
biofuel needs energy equivalent to several gallons of petroleum fuel.
 Slight Increase in Nitrogen Oxide Emissions: Biodiesel has about 10%
higher Nitrogen Oxide than other petroleum products. Nitrogen Oxide is
one the gas that is used in the formation of smog and Ozone. Once it
gets dissolved in atmospheric moisture, can cause acid rain.
 CONCLUSION

Green chemistry works towards sustainability by designing more efficient

processes that minimize the production of waste materials, making chemical
products that do not harm either our health or the environment, using industrial
processes that reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals, and in summary,
scientifically sound, cost effective, and leads towards a sustainable civilization.

Bio-diesel is one of the profitable products of Green Chemistry. It not only makes
the atmosphere less polluted, but somehow, purifies our internal body and soul
also. Every student must be aware of these sorts of processes and products which
save our environment from being polluted save our health, wildlife and
vegetation, and ultimately our Earth too.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 www.icbse.com
 www.chemistry.org
 www.ott.doe.gov/biofuels/environment.html
 www.pcra.org
 www.eia.gov
 https://www.en.wikipedia.org
 www.google.com
 www.conserve-energy-future.com
 CBSE Class-12 Chemistry Lab Manual
 CBSE Class-12 NCERT Textbook.