Biodiesel production through transesterification of poultry fat at 30 °C

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2010

Authors

Ana L. Moreira (Author) Other; Joana M. Dias (Author) FEUP; Manuel F. Almeida (Author) FEUP; Maria C. M. Alvim-Ferraz (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Energy & Fuels

Vol. 24 No. 1

Pages: 5717-5721

ISSN: 0887-0624

Publisher: American Chemical Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 14 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 17 Citations

COMPENDEX

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Environmental engineering

CORDIS: Technological sciences

Associated Projects

LEPABE - Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-284

DOI: 10.1021/ef100705s

Abstract (EN): Biodiesel is an alternative fuel to fossil diesel whose major disadvantage is the dubious economical viability of the production process, due to the high raw material costs. In the work here reported, biodiesel was produced from poultry fat, a potentially good alternative raw material due to its low price and availability. The specific objectives of the work were (i) to study biodiesel production from poultry fat by homogeneous alkaline transesterification; (ii) to evaluate and improve the parameters affecting the reaction, namely, temperature, time, methanol to fat molar ratio, and concentration of the catalyst; and (iii) to evaluate the quality of the obtained biodiesel, according to the European biodiesel quality standard EN 14214. The product yield varied from 73 to 86 wt %. Regarding the product quality, independently of the reaction conditions used, density, acid value, flash point, copper corrosion, linolenic methyl ester content, and iodine number fulfilled EN 14214; however, viscosity and purity were not fulfilled at all conditions. Considering the parameters studied, the results obtained showed that the biodiesel produced at 30 degrees C during 90 min with a methanol to Fat molar ratio 016:1 and 1.0 wt % of NaOH as the catalyst obeyed all the quality specifications evaluated.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 5