Biodiesel

Biodiesel: Alternative fuel

 Fossil fuels (non-renewable natural resources) are
depleting a very fast rate
 Burning of fossil fuels causes accumulation of carbon
dioxide in the environment
 Biodiesel is defined by ASTM International
(International Association for Testing and
Materials) as a fuel composed of monoalkyl esters
of long-chain fatty acids derived from renewable
vegetable oils or animal fats
 Biodiesel started to be produced widely in the early
1990s and since then production has been increasing
steadily
Mishra, V. K., & Goswami, R. (2017). A review of production,
properties and advantages of biodiesel. Biofuels, 1-17.
 Why use biodiesel?
Environmentally friendly (low emissions
of carbon monoxide and particulate
matters)
Renewable
Highly degradable
Zero toxicity (does not release
Hydrocarbons)
Compared to diesel, biodiesel produces no
sulphur, no net carbondioxide
Has lubricating properties
Cetane ratings (specifies the ignition
quality of a fuel for use in a diesel engine)
compared to low sulphur diesel fuels
 Worldwide Biodiesel Production
Biodiesel has been mainly utilized in
Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, the US,
France, Germany and other European
countries
Globally, annual biodiesel production is
increasing (289 thousand barrels per day
in 2008)
Around 85% of biodiesel production

H., &comes
Mekhilef, S.from the European review Union
Atabani, A. E., Silitonga, A. S., Badruddin, I. A., Mahlia, T. M. I., Masjuki, H.
(2012). A comprehensive on biodiesel as an
alternative energy resource and its characteristics. Renewable and sustainable
energy reviews, 16(4), 2070-2093.
 Sources of Biodiesel
Primarily produced from vegetative oil, waste
cooking oil and animal fats
Edible vegetable oils such as rapeseed, soybean,
peanut, sunflower, palm and coconut oil
(considered to be first generation of biodiesel oils)
Non-edible vegetable oils such as jatropha,
karanja, sea mango, algae and halophytes (second
generation feedstock)
Animal fats such as beef tallow, yellow grease,
chicken fat and by-products from fish oils
Major sources and world production
areas of Biodiesel

http://science-infographics.org/infographic-bio-diesel/
Biodiesel production technologies
First step is extraction of oil
Oil contained in the seeds is extracted
Three common methods for extraction of
the oil
1. Mechanical extraction (by mechanical
expellers or presses)
2. Solvent extraction (using a liquid solvent)
3. Enzymatic extraction (usually Alkaline
protease)
Pyrolysis
 The next step is pyrolysis
 The substrates for the pyrolysis method for
production of biodiesel can be vegetable oils,
animal fats, natural fatty acids or methyl esters of
fatty acids.
 Pyrolysis refers to a chemical change due to the
application of thermal energy in the presence of a
catalyst and in the absence of air or nitrogen
This type of decomposition of triglycerides
produces alkanes, alkenes, alkadienes, aromatics
and carboxylic acids
Pyrolysis
Transesterification
Last step for biodiesel production
For synthesis of biodiesel, triglycerides are
reacted with alcohol (methanol) in a
reaction known as transesterification
Transesterification produces methyl esters
of fatty acids that are biodiesel and glycerol
http://science-infographics.org/infographic-bio-diesel/
 Properties and qualities of biodiesel
 The viscosity of biodiesel is 10–15 times greater than
that of diesel derived from fossil fuels
 The flash point (temperature at which the fuel will
ignite when exposed to a flame) of biodiesel is higher
than the prescribed limit of petroleum diesel, which
is safe for transport, handling and storage purpose
 Biodiesel has higher Cetane number than
conventional petroleum diesel fuel, which indicates
higher combustion efficiency (shorter time between
the ignition and the initiation of fuel injection into the
combustion chamber of the engine)
 Disadvantages of biodiesel
Corrosive nature against copper and brass
High viscosity leads to problems in
pumping, combustion and atomization in
the injector systems of the engine
Low engine speed and power
Degradation of biodiesel under storage
for prolonged periods
Not cost-competitive with gasoline or
diesel
Biodiesel in India
The
 National Mission on Biodiesel was launched in April 2003
Identified Jatropha as the most suitable oil seed plant

Jatropha plant seeds which are very rich in oil (40%)

On 12 September 2008, the Indian Government announced its

‘National Biofuel Policy’
It aimed to meet 20% of India's diesel demand with fuel

derived from plants.
At present, fuel yielding plants cover less than 5,000 square

kilometres

Singh, S.K., 2007. India bio-fuels annual 2007, USDA Gain report IN7074)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha_biodiesel_in_India)

(
 Jatropha curcas
 Belong to Euphorbiaceae
(spurge) family
 J. curcas is a semi-evergreen shrub or
small tree, reaching a height of 6 m or
more
 It contains phorbol esters, which are
considered toxic making it non-edible
for humans
 Seeds contain oil about (34.4%) that
can be processed to produce a high-
quality biodiesel fuel, usable in a
standard diesel engine
 Edible (non-toxic) provenances can be
used for animal feed and food
Processing of Biodiesel using Jatropha
seeds

https://www.slideshare.net/NofalUmair/
production-of-biodiesel-from-jatropha-plant
Processing of Biodiesel using Jatropha
seeds (continued)

https://www.slideshare.net/NofalUmair/
production-of-biodiesel-from-jatropha-plant