Production Of Biodiesel From Beef Tallow
Increased environmental awareness and depletion of natural oil reserves have made it imperative for many industries to look for alternative sources of fuel. One area that has gained notable attention in recent years, is the production of fuel from biomaterials. These biomaterials include fats and oils derived from living organisms and are considered renewable biological resources. Unfortunately, the direct use of fats and oils from plants and animals are poor sources of fuel and more importantly, many existing processes would have to be altered in order to incorporate the utilisation of these fuels. The use of biodiesel derived from animal fat or vegetable is one possibility. These fuels have similar properties to those of diesel produced from conventional petrochemical processes. More importantly biodiesel can be used directly to run existing diesel engines. However, these fuels have not been used as frequently due to their higher production cost compared to that of conventional diesel fuel.
Biodiesel is produced through a transesterification reaction of triglyceride molecules present in fats and oils with alcohol, such as methanol in batch processes. Transesterification is a stepwise reaction that breaks down triglyceride to form alcohol ester (biodiesel) which can be used as a diesel substitute. The main objective of this project is to improve the economic viability of the process by improving the reaction process. This should be achieved by using low-grade feedstock and the use of a continuous process unlike the conventional batch process. At present, work is being carried out on the effect of key reaction parameters such as temperature, catalyst, alcohol and reaction time to obtain the optimum reaction condition that’s required for a continuous process. By creating a continuous process it’s possible to reduce production cost and hence reduce the overall cost of biodiesel which should make the fuel economically more viable.