Heterogeneous Biodiesel Catalyst from Steel Slag Resulting from an Electric Arc Furnace

Utilization of iron fillings solid waste for optimum biodiesel production

This study explores the innovative application of iron filings solid waste, a byproduct from mechanical workshops, as a heterogeneous catalyst in the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil. Focusing on sustainability and waste valorization, the research presents a dual-benefit approach: addressing the environmental issue of solid waste disposal while contributing to the renewable energy sector. Particle size distribution analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Thermal analysis (TG-DTA), and FTIR analysis were used to characterize the iron filings. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to guide a series of experiments that were conducted to identify the optimum transesterification settings. Important factors that greatly affect the production of biodiesel are identified by the study, including catalyst loading, reaction time, methanol-to-oil ratio, reaction temperature, and stirring rate. The catalyst proved to be successful as evidenced by the 96.4% biodiesel conversion efficiency attained under ideal conditions. The iron filings catalyst's reusability was evaluated, demonstrating its potential for numerous applications without noticeably decreasing activity. This work offers a road towards more environmentally friendly and sustainable chemical processes in energy production by making a strong argument for using industrial solid waste as a catalyst in the biodiesel manufacturing process.

A systematic review on utilization of biodiesel-derived crude glycerol in sustainable polymers preparation

With the rapid development of biodiesel, biodiesel-derived glycerol has become a promising renewable bioresource. The key to utilizing this bioresource lies in the value-added conversion of crude glycerol. While purifying crude glycerol into a pure form allows for diverse applications, the intricate nature of this process renders it costly and environmentally stressful. Consequently, technology facilitating the direct utilization of unpurified crude glycerol holds significant importance. It has been reported that crude glycerol can be bio-transformed or chemically converted into high-value polymers. These technologies provide cost-effective alternatives for polymer production while contributing to a more sustainable biodiesel industry. This review article describes the global production and quality characteristics of biodiesel-derived glycerol and investigates the influencing factors and treatment of the composition of crude glycerol including water, methanol, soap, matter organic non-glycerol, and ash. Additionally, this review also focused on the advantages and challenges of various technologies for converting crude glycerol into polymers, considering factors such as the compatibility of crude glycerol and the control of unfavorable factors. Lastly, the application prospect and value of crude glycerol conversion were discussed from the aspects of economy and environmental protection. The development of new technologies for the increased use of crude glycerol as a renewable feedstock for polymer production will be facilitated by the findings of this review, while promoting mass market applications.

Optimum Biodiesel Production Using Ductile Cast Iron as a Heterogeneous Catalyst

Biofuels production become a target for many researchers nowadays. Biodiesel is one the most important biofuels that are produced from biomass using economics and modern techniques. The ductile cast iron solid waste dust is one of the wastes produced by the cast iron industry which has a bad effect on the environment. This paper investigates the possibility of reusing ductile cast iron solid waste as a biodiesel heterogeneous catalyst used in its production from sunflower waste cooking oil. Four reaction parameters were chosen to determine their effect on the reaction responses. The reaction parameters are M:O ratio, reaction time and temperature, and catalyst loading. The reaction responses are the biodiesel and glycerol conversions. The upper and lower limits are selected for each reaction parameter such as (50–70 °C) reaction temperature, (5–20) methanol to oil molar ratio, (1–5%) catalyst loading, and (1–4 h) reaction time. Optimization was done with economic and environmental targets which include lowering the biodiesel production cost, increasing the volume of biodiesel produced, and decreasing the amount of resulting glycerol. The optimum reactions are 20:1 M:O molar ratio, 65 °C reaction temperature, 5 wt% catalyst loading, 2 h reaction time, and a stirring rate of 750 rpm. The biodiesel conversion resulting at this optimum reaction conditions is 91.7 percent with agreed with all biodiesel standards. The catalyst usability test was done it was found the catalyst can be used up to 4 times after that a fresh catalyst is required to be used.

Valuable Biodiesel Catalyst from Solvay Wastewater

Biodiesel is considered a renewable, green fuel as it is derived from renewable living resources like animal fats or vegetable oils. This research is utilized to investigate the possibility of using Solvay wastewater as a source of biodiesel catalyst, which is CaO. CaCl2 from Solvay wastewater reacts with CO2 to produce CaCO3. CaCO3 is then heated to produce pure CaO. Waste cooking oil, wastewater, and CO2, which are considered dangerous materials to the environment, are used to produce valuable products. This research has environmental and economic benefit benefits of using waste materials as a replacement for raw materials. The selected experimental parameters for the CaCO3 production step are stirring rate (500–1300) rpm, CO2 gas flow rate (900–2000) mL/min, amount of ammonia (15–35) mL, and glycerol volume (0–25) mL. The selected experimental parameters for the biodiesel production step are reaction time (2–6) h, methanol to oil ratio (9–15), catalyst loading (1–5) %, and reaction temperature (50–70) °C. The impact of reaction parameters on reaction responses was assessed using the response surface methodology technique. A formula that represents the reaction response as a function of all the independent factors has been created. The optimization of the process is done in two steps: the first one is for the CaCO3 process while the second one is biodiesel production optimization. The first optimization was done to get the CaCO3 with minimum particle size and yield. The second optimization was done to get the maximum amount of biodiesel using minimum energy and low reaction conditions. Process optimization resulted in another economic benefit for this research. The resulted biodiesel yield equals 95.8% biodiesel yield at 2 h reaction time, 15:1 molar ratio of methanol to oil, 56 °C reaction temperature, and 1% catalyst loading.

Sanitary Ware Waste as a Source for a Valuable Biodiesel Catalyst

Biofuel is a type of fuel that is made from biomass using modern techniques rather than the relatively slow geological processes that lead to the development of fossil fuels. In Europe, biodiesel is the most widely used biofuel. The sanitary ware industry generates a lot of hazardous waste, such as waste gypsum molds. These molds are broken, pulverized, and reacted with NaCO3 to make CaCO3, which is then heated to produce CaO. The resulting CaO catalyzes the reaction between waste frying oil and methanol for biodiesel synthesis. To evaluate the effect of reaction parameters on the production of biodiesel, the independent reaction parameters that were chosen are as follows: reaction temperature in the range 50–70°C, methanol to oil (M:O) molar ratio in the range 9–15, catalyst loading in the range 1–5%, and time in the range 2–6 hrs. The influence of the independent factors on the reaction-dependent responses was evaluated and it was found that reaction temperature and methanol-to-oil ratio have a major effect on the biodiesel yield. Reaction condition optimization has been studied to maximize biodiesel yield at minimum reaction conditions. The optimum process conditions are 93.4% biodiesel yield at an M:O molar ratio of 15 : 1, catalyst loading of 1%, reaction temperature of 53.6°C, and reaction time of 2 h. The results showed that resulted biodiesel catalyst (CaO) can be used one time; then, a fresh catalyst will be used.