Biodiesel from palm

The viability of MES is dependent on the availability of the ME at a reasonable price. The Asia Pacific region, where Malaysia and Indonesia lead the world s palm oil production, offers a stable source for the palm oils or derivatives for producing ME. The interest in biodiesel from palm oil and the need for biodiesel to have a low cold filter plugging point (CEPP) will provide a ready supply of C16 ME that can be subsequently converted into a surfactant. 

Al-Zuhair, S., F. W. Ling, and L. S. Jun. 2007. Proposed Kinetic Mechanism of the Production of Biodiesel from Palm Oil Using Lipase. Process Biochemistry 42 (6) 951-960. 

Although immobilization can reduce the overall production cost, the overall cost is still much higher than that of chemical-catalyzed processes. Jegannathan et al. (2011) determined the economic feasibility of producing 1000 tons of biodiesel from palm oil using alkali and lipase catalysts in both soluble and immobilized forms. The alkali-catalyzed process cost was found to be lowest followed by the immobilized form of the lipase. However, in this research it was assumed that lipase could be reused only five times. If reusability is increased, the lipase processes becomes more feasible. 

Cereals can yield around 1500-3000 litres of gasoline equivalent (lge)/ha sugarcane, 3000-6000 lge/ha sugarheet, 2000-4000 lge/ha vegetable oil crops, 700-1300 litres of diesel equivalent (lde)/ha and palm oil, 2500-3000 lde/ha (IEA, 2007). In addition, there are novel biofuel production processes under development, for example biodiesel from marine algae, which are claimed to have a 15 times higher yield per ha than rapeseed. 

Cold properties of biodiesel are highly correlated to the fatty acid composition. Biodiesel with a high content of saturated fatty acids, such as that from palm oil and coconut oil, possesses poor cold flow properties. On the other hand, biodiesel with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids possesses better flow properties at lower temperatures. However, biodiesel from highly unsaturated fatty acids with more than two double bonds has combustion problems. Therefore, in some countries, the content of highly unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters in biodiesel is kept low (5). 

Biodiesel made from feedstocks containing large concentrations of long-chain saturated fatty acids will have very poor cold flow properties. Less expensive feedstocks such as palm oil or tallow (see Table 1.3) may not be feasible in moderate temperature climates. In contrast, feedstocks with lower concentrations of long-chain saturated fatty acids yield biodiesel with more attractive cold flow properties. For example, biodiesel from canola, linseed, olive, rape-seed, and safflower oils have CP and PP close to or below 0°C (Table 1.3). 

Figure 10.4. Production of biodiesel from crude palm oil.

Aranda, D. A. G., R T. P. Santos, N. C O. Tap>anes, A. L. D. Ramos O. A. C. Antunes (2008) Acid-catalyzed homogeneous esterification reaction for biodiesel production from palm fatty acids. Catalysis Letters, 122,20-25,lSSN 1011-372X. 

Tongboriboon K, Cheirsilp B, H-kittikun A. Mixed Upases for efficient enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel from used palm oil and ethanol in a solvent-free system.J Mol Catal B Enzym 2010 67 52-9. 

The first biodiesel produced was derived from palm oil and ethanol, as described in a patent of Chavanne in 1938 [65]. Since then, different procedures have been developed... 

Mootabadi, H., Salamatinia, B., Bhatia, S., and Abdullah, A. Z. Ultrasonic-assisted biodiesel production process from palm oil using alkaline earth metal oxides as the heterogeneous catalysts. Fuel 89,1818-1825 (2010). 

Noiroj, K., Intarapong, P, Luengnamemitchai, A., and Jai-ln, S. A comparative study of K0H/A1203 and KOH/NaY catalysts for biodiesel production via transesterifica-tion from palm oil. Renew Energy 34,1145-1150 (2009). 

Theam, K.L., Islam, A., et al., 2015. Biodiesel from low cost palm stearin using metal doped methoxide solid catalyst. Industrial Crops and Products 76, 281—289. 

Biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester (FAME)) production is based on transesterification of vegetable oils and fats through the addition of methanol (or other alcohols) and a catalyst, giving glycerol as a by-product (which can be used for cosmetics, medicines and food). Oil-seed crops include rapeseeds, sunflower seeds, soy beans and palm oil seeds, from which the oil is extracted chemically or mechanically. Biodiesel can be used in 5%-20% blends with conventional diesel, or even in pure form, which requires slight modifications in the vehicle. 

Biodiesel can be produced from various oilseed-yielding plants like castor, cotton, jatropha, palm, rape, soy, etc. The straight vegetable oils (SVO), which can be derived by physical and chemical treatment (milling/refining), are then converted into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), also known as biodiesel. Similar to ethanol, these routes are established and proven, and their costs depend heavily on two factors ... 

Another route for biodiesel is to hydrotreat unprocessed bio-oils (from castor, cotton, palm, soy etc.) so that no transesterification is needed to stabilize the biodiesel. 

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