Biodiesel
Cellulosic ethanol
Ethanol
Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME)
Palm oil
Rapeseed
Thermal depolymerization (TDP)
Transesterification
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is an alternative or additive to standard diesel fuel that is made from biological ingredients instead of petroleum (or crude oil). Biodiesel is usually made from the transesterification of plant oils or animal fat. Commonly, a blend is created of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel, to reduce emissions (CO, CO2, aromatic hydrocarbons, SO2, particulates), reduce knocking and improve lubricity. Biodiesel is biodegradable and non-toxic, and used in transportation fleets, marine fleets and mines because of lower emissions. Biodiesel is considered to be the lowest-cost strategy in complying with state and federal regulations, as it does not require major engine modifications.
Cellulosic ethanol
Cellulosic ethanol or cellanol is ethanol fuel produced from cellulose, a naturally occurring complex carbohydrate polymer commonly found in plant cell walls. Cellulosic ethanol is chemically identical to ethanol from other sources, such as corn or sugar, and is available in a great diversity of biomass including waste from urban, agricultural, and forestry sources. However, it differs in that it requires an extra processing step called cellulolysis -- breaking cellulose down into sugars. Cellulosic ethanol has been for sale commercially since 2004.
Ethanol
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless, slightly toxic chemical compound with a distinctive perfume-like odor, and is the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. In common usage, it is often referred to simply as alcohol. Ethanol for use as industrial feedstock is most often made from petrochemical feedstocks, typically by the acid-catalyzed hydration of ethene. The catalyst is most commonly phosphoric acid, adsorbed onto a porous support such as diatomaceous earth or charcoal. Glucose for fermentation into ethanol can be obtained from cellulose. (See cellulosic ethanol.)
Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME)
Fatty acid methyl ester or (FAME) is another name for biodiesel.
Palm oil
Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the oil palm tree. The palm oil and palm kernel oil are composed of fatty acids, esterified with glycerol just like any ordinary fat.
Rapeseed
Rapeseed (Brassica napus), also known as Rape, Oilseed Rape, Rapa, Rapaseed and (one particular artificial variety) Canola, is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family).
Thermal depolymerization (TDP)
Thermal depolymerization (TDP) is a process for the reduction of complex organic materials (usually waste products of various sorts, often known as biomass and plastic) into light crude oil. It mimics the natural geological processes thought to be involved in the production of fossil fuels. Under pressure and heat, long chain polymers of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon decompose into short-chain petroleum hydrocarbons with a maximum length of around 18 carbons.
Transesterification
Transesterification is the process of exchanging the alkoxy group of an ester compound by another alcohol. These reactions are often catalyzed by the addition of an acid or base. Acids can catalyse the reaction by donating a proton to the carbonyl group, thus making it more reactive, while bases can catalyse the reaction by removing a proton from the alcohol, thus making it more reactive. The name "biodiesel" has been given to transesterified vegetable oil to describe its use as a diesel fuel. The transesterification process involves mixing at room temperature methanol (50% excess) with NaOH (100% excess), then mixing vigorously with vegetable oil and letting the glycerol settle (about 15% of the biodiesel mix). The supernatant is biodiesel and contains a mixture of methylated fatty acids and methanol.
Return to top
Printer-friendly format