Library Item
Towards Producing a Truly Green Biodiesel
Description:
he production of biodiesel has received considerable attention
throughout the world in the past few years. As an alternative to
petrodiesel, biodiesel is a renewable fuel that is derived from
vegetable oils and animal fats. However, the existing biodiesel
production process is neither completely “green” nor renewable because
it utilizes fossil fuels, mainly natural gas as an input for methanol
production. Also the catalysts currently in use are highly caustic and
toxic. The purpose of this article is to propose a new concept that uses
waste vegetable oil and non-edible plant oils as biodiesel feedstock and
non-toxic, inexpensive, and natural catalysts that overcome the
limitation of the existing process. The economic benefit of the proposed
method is also discussed. The new concept will render the biodiesel
production process truly green.
