Which reaction is involved in production of biodiesel from vegetable oils?

transesterification
Biodiesel production is the process of producing the biofuel, biodiesel, through the chemical reactions of transesterification and esterification. This involves vegetable or animal fats and oils being reacted with short-chain alcohols (typically methanol or ethanol). The alcohols used should be of low molecular weight.

How is biodiesel made from vegetable oils using methanol?

The transesterification process reacts methanol with the triglyceride oils contained in vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, forming fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerin. The remaining triglycerides are converted to biodiesel in the transesterification reaction.

How is biodiesel made from vegetable oil?

Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products – methyl esters and glycerin. Methyl esters is the chemical name for biodiesel and glycerin is used in a variety of products, including soap.

What is the chemical makeup of biodiesel?

Although a mixture, the basic biodiesel chemical formula is C17H34O2, with the ester group –CO2CH3 at the end of the long carbon chain.

Which oil is best for biodiesel?

Rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and palm oil are major feedstocks for biodiesel production in other countries. Algae is also a potential source for biodiesel production. Algae contain fat pockets that help keep them afloat. This fat can be collected and processed into biodiesel.

How much biodiesel is produced from vegetable oil?

Like most important things, the answers aren’t black or white—but they’re critical to get right. More than 80 percent of biodiesel is made from vegetable oil (the rest is mostly animal fats).

What oils can be used for biodiesel?

The vegetable oils and animal fats used to make biodiesel can come from virtually any source. All of these products consist of chemicals called triglycerides, so biodiesel can be made from soybean oil, canola oil, beef tallow, and pork lard, and even from such exotic oils as walnut oil or avocado oil.

Can you convert cooking oil to diesel?

In order to make it safe, cooking oil goes through a process called transesterification. Transesterification is the chemical process that transforms waste oil into diesel fuel. It’s a long name for a relatively simple concept. During this process, we combine an ester with an alcohol.

How do you make homemade biodiesel?

Basic Steps to Biodiesel.

1. Collect and filter used cooking oil, and allow unwanted water to settle and drain out.
2. Pump the oil into a processor and add a methoxide catalyst.
3. The oil reacts with the methoxide to form biodiesel and a glycerin coproduct; allow the glycerin to settle and then drain it.

What are the disadvantages of biodiesel?

At present, Biodiesel fuel is about one and a half times more expensive than petroleum diesel fuel. It requires energy to produce biodiesel fuel from soya crops, plus there is the energy of sowing, fertilizing and harvesting. Another biodiesel fuel disadvantage is that it can harm rubber houses in some engines.

Can you mix vegetable oil with diesel?

Just mix your vegetable oil into your diesel. People who are trying this say the easiest way to do this is to run your tank almost empty. Then when you pop to the supermarket, fill up with diesel, and then add the vegetable oil. The drive home mixes it all up nicely.

What happens when vegetable oil is converted to biodiesel?

Therefore, converting vegetable oil into biodiesel is called a transesterification reaction. Doing this reaction requires using methanol (shown in green), which causes the red bonds in the structure below to break.

What are the side reactions of biodiesel production?

Both should be as dry as possible. Water production increases the side reaction of soap formation which is unwanted. Figure 9.8b: Chemistry of biodiesel production. The catalyst is prepared by mixing methanol and a strong base such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. During the preparation, the NaOH breaks into ions of Na+ and OH-.

How is biodiesel produced in a diesel engine?

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel for diesel engines that is produced by chemically reacting a vegetable oil or animal fat with an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol. In words, the reaction is: Oil + alcohol → biodiesel + glycerin. The photo shows a bottle of biodiesel and glycerin (also called glycerol).

What happens when you add soap to biodiesel?

If this is not done, the water will later react with the vegetable oil in the reaction and make soap, shown below. If soap gets made, then later it complicates the steps after the transesterication reaction that are needed to separate the biodiesel from leftover methanol, the NaOH or KOH catalyst, and the glycerol byproduct.