Designer Catalysts for High Efficiency Biodiesel Production

Lead Research Organisation: Newcastle University
Department Name: Chemical Engineering & Advanced Material

Abstract

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Publications

10 25 50
 
Description (I) The work led to the finding that biodiesel could be produced in 2 minutes, simply by choosing the correct operating conditions. This could be put to use by biodiesel producers. It would effectively reduce the reactor to a simple pipe between the feed vessels and the downstream processing.

(ii) In the project we demonstrated for the first time biodiesel production in an oscillatory baffled "mesoreactor" with suspended solid catalysts. This is a key step forward for the use of this reactor as a reaction screening platform, as it demonstrates one of the key advantages it has over commercial designs: that at the same flowrates and residence times it can easily suspend solid particles, thereby allowing heterogeneously catalysed reactions or solid-liquid reactions to be performed, where this is extremely difficult to do with conventional designs, without substantial modification of the solids.
Exploitation Route The work demonstrated the use of the flow chemistry device that we have developed in-house for screening reactions with liquid and solid phases. That it can handle such combinations of phases gives it a distinct advantage over other flow chemistry platforms. One unit has been sold to a fine chemicals manufacturer, and we would hope to commercialise it further.

The operating conditions identified for rapid biodiesel production could be used by any biodiesel producer. This has already been extrapolated to biodiesel production for other feedstocks including waste cooking oils, oilseeds and microalgae.
Sectors Chemicals

Energy

Manufacturing

including Industrial Biotechology

 
Description The findings of this project were part of the basis of a recent Newton fund project in which biodiesel production processes have been developed for rural communities in Thailand. The first demonstrator was put in place in March 2017. The idea is that these communities process their waste oil into biodiesel themselves, to prevent the environmental impact of disposal and to generate their own fuel.
First Year Of Impact 2017
Sector Chemicals,Education,Energy,Environment,Transport
Impact Types Societal

Economic

 
Description Catalysis at the Water-Energy Nexus
Amount £60,000 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/R026645/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2019 
End 03/2020
 
Description EPRSC IAA: Development of a Non-thermal Plasma device to Reduce Combustion Particulate Emissions
Amount £73,000 (GBP)
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2017 
End 06/2019
 
Description Osczyme
Amount £27,000 (GBP)
Organisation Austrian Research Promotion Agency 
Sector Public
Country Austria
Start 02/2017 
End 10/2019
 
Description PhD Studentship (PTDF)
Amount £90,000 (GBP)
Organisation PTDF Petroleum Technology Development Fund Nigeria 
Sector Public
Country Nigeria
Start 09/2010 
End 10/2013
 
Title Process Screening Platform 
Description This project has contributed to development of the reactor system as a process screening platform. 
Type Of Technology Physical Model/Kit 
Year Produced 2012 
Impact Reactor unit sold to UK chemical company for process screening.