Biodiesel production procedures can change based on the feedstock used.

Biodiesel feedstocks include vegetable oils and waste frying oils, which contain
triglycerides that are needed to make biodiesel. Biodiesel was produced in the lab through the transesterification reaction, in which vegetable oil and waste frying oil
were separately reacted with methanol in the presence of an alkali catalyst (sodium methoxide) to form methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerol. The high fatty acid content
of waste frying oils created a problem in the process. Fatty acids in waste frying oils reacted with the alkali catalyst to form soap and water, which inhibit separation and
purification of the biodiesel; thus, an esterification pretreatment with an acid catalyst (sulfuric acid, 98%) was conducted on waste frying oils to get rid of the inhibitory
fatty acids. It was observed in the lab that this pretreatment was necessary in order to easily and successfully purify the biodiesel. The biodiesel yield from pretreated
waste frying oil and fresh vegetable oil were similar at 81.3% and 82%, respectively.

To practice producing biodiesel in the lab
To learn about the challenges associated with biodiesel
production
To understand the effects of chemistry and composition
of the feedstocks in biodiesel production
.
The biodiesel system was examined from the feedstock
and fuel aspects. In addition to literature review, a small-
scale production of biodiesel was conducted in the lab
  

  .  
using both fresh vegetable oils and waste vegetable oils.
. 
Feedstocks that contain triglycerides are used as reactants
in the transesterification reaction that produces biodiesel:
 . 
The methyl esters, which comprise the biodiesel, and the
glycerol are immiscible, which allows for a simple
separation. Catalysts can be of the following natures: alkali,
acid, or enzyme. The most preferred catalyst are alkali, due
to its efficiency in converting triglycerides to methyl esters.
Vegetable oils Animal fats, waste
Can be made from frying oils (WFOs),
peanut, soybean,
greases
palm, sunflower,
Contains triglycerides
rapeseed High free fatty acids,
High triglycerides water, and other
Low free fatty acids impurities
Expensive Can be obtained from
Food vs. fuel local restaurants
Cheaper than fresh
vegetable oils
Feedstocks high in fatty acids pose a problem with
alkali-catalyzed conversion, due to the reaction that occurs
between fatty acids and the alkali catalysts. This reaction
forms soap and water, which can inhibit the separation of
glycerol and biodiesel and the purification of the biodiesel.
To eliminate fatty acids in waste frying oils, these
feedstocks must first go through pretreatment
esterification. An acid catalyst would facilitate an
esterification reaction that would form methyl esters from
free fatty acids. Transesterification of the remaining oil can
then be carried out with an alkali catalyst.
4. Separation
Open stopcock of separatory funnel to allow bottom
brown layer of glycerin to flow out.
1. Titration 5. Purification
Add phenolphthalein to 10 mL isopropyl alcohol Wash with ~200 mL tap water to funnel
(control) and 10 mL isopropyl alcohol and 1 mL WFO. Pump air into mixture for 3 minutes
Titrate with 1 g/L NaOH solution. Titrate control Let settle, and drain bottom soapy layer.
NaOH level (V1). Titrate WFONaOH level (V2). Repeat until bottom water layer is clear
Calculate acid value:



   
 
1.4 is the mass coefficient to convert NaOH to KOH,
doil is density of vegetable oil (soybean oil 0.92 g/mL)
To calculate H2SO4 requirement for esterification:
  
 
 
To calculate NaOH requirement for transesterification:
    
2. Esterification (Pretreatment for WFOs)
300 mL of WFO heated in glass bottle
Magnetic stir bar (125 rpm) on a stirring hot plate at
60, 24 hour reaction
36 mL methanol (12% Voil) with calculated
concentrated H2SO4 in an HDPE bottle.
Let settle in separatory funnel for at least 3 hours.
3. Transesterification
If pretreatment was conducted:
Methoxide solution 24 mL methanol (8% Voil) and 1.8
g (0.6% Voil) of NaOH into HDPE bottle.
125 rpm and 60C. 244 g of biodiesel was obtained from 300 mL (276 g)
React for 2 hours. Pour mixture into separatory waste frying oil.
funnel, and let settle overnight. 81.3% yield
If no pretreatment: 246 g of biodiesel obtained from 300 mL (276 g) fresh
60 mL methanol (20% of oil) with calculated NaOH. vegetable oil.
Heat 300 mL oil in reaction bottle 82% yield
60C and 125 rpm, react for 2 hours 4.49:1 methanol:oil molar ratio
Let settle overnight in separatory funnel 6:1 optimal ratio
It was difficult to purify the biodiesel from waste frying
oils when no esterification pretreatment was conducted.
After six washes, the bottom layer was nowhere near
clear. The mixture was discarded.
Al-Zuhair, Sulaiman. Production of biodiesel: possibilities and
challenges. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. Volume
1, Issue 1 (September 2007): Pages 57-66.
Freedman, B., E.H. Pryde, and T.L. Mounts. Variables Affecting
the Yields of Fatty Esters from Transesterified Vegetable
Oils. Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society. Volume
61. Issue 10 (October 1984): Pages 1638-1643.
Van Gerpen, Jon. Biodiesel processing and production. Fuel
Processing Technology. Volume 86. Issue 10 (June 2005):
Pages 1097-1107.
We would like to thank the NEWBio Program and the USDA,
for having this program, Delaware State University for
hosting us this summer, and Pengli Xiao for all her help
with the lab procedures to produce biodiesel.