A Sustainable Approach to Biodiesel Waste Minimization By Closing the Loop on Production

Sustainable energy is very current topic amongst many, including the 2016 presidential candidates. The idea behind sustainable energy is to be more environmental friendly, and to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Over the past several years, a great deal of research has been done regarding biodiesel. Many processes have been developed in order to create the fuel, but each process creates various byproducts. In regards to the process utilizing used vegetable oil, the waste is glycerin. Glycerin can be purified and sold, but this is a very costly process and not very economical. Acrolein can be produced with glycerin as an intermediate. The first part of the process involves combining glycerin with phosphoric acid to yield sodium dihydrogen phosphate, which can be utilized as a catalyst for the production of acrolein from glycerin. Acrolein itself is a profitable compound, but it is also the first step in the production of acrylic acid, which is used in disposable diapers, emulsifiers, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. This process will essentially close the loop of the biodiesel process by using the byproduct to produce a more profitable compound and not produce any waste.