Triglycerides production, worldwide

G. production worldwide is estimated to be in the range of 750000 mt/a (1999), which are almost entirely made from natural triglycerides (RR). In the 1970 s some production units for synthetic g. were installed that are shut down today, with the exception of one plant. 

The transesterification of triglycerides with methanol is a simple and straightforward process. It is commercially practiced worldwide in the production of FAMEs, which have become popular as a replacement for diesel known as biodiesel . The process consists of three separate equilibrium reactions that can be catalyzed by both acids and bases. (4) The overall process is described in Figure 3. Phase separation of the glycerin is the predominant driving force for this process. 

Bioethanol (mainly from sucrose and starchy crops) and biodiesel production (via transesterihcation of triglycerides) are the main first-generation biofuels that are currently produced on industrial scale. Biodiesel is produced by transesterihcation of triacylglycerols with short-chain alcohols (mainly methanol or ethanol) to produce monoalkyl esters, namely fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs). The worldwide production of biodiesel is mainly dependent on the utilization of waste oils, animal fats, and oilseeds such as rapeseed, sunflower, and soybeans. The recent food crisis has shown that research should focus on the development of second-generation biofuels generated from lignocellulosic raw materials and industrial waste streams (eg, food industry wastes). 

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