Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production from Waste Cooking Oil: Transesterification Reactor Modeling

Biodiesel and biolubricants play strategic roles in green technologies, as they can be produced in biorefineries. The design of industrial facilities is essential to assess the industrial implementation of these processes, with few studies about this subject in the literature. The aim of this work w...

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Main Authors: Pedro M. Álvarez, Javier Collado Contreras, Sergio Nogales-Delgado
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/2/575
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author Pedro M. Álvarez
Javier Collado Contreras
Sergio Nogales-Delgado
author_facet Pedro M. Álvarez
Javier Collado Contreras
Sergio Nogales-Delgado
author_sort Pedro M. Álvarez
collection DOAJ
description Biodiesel and biolubricants play strategic roles in green technologies, as they can be produced in biorefineries. The design of industrial facilities is essential to assess the industrial implementation of these processes, with few studies about this subject in the literature. The aim of this work was to produce biodiesel and a biolubricant from waste cooking oil through double transesterification with methanol and trimethylolpropane, obtaining high conversion values (>97 and 98%, respectively). The biolubricant (characterized according to the UNE-14214 standard) had a density of 951 kg·m<sup>−3</sup>, a viscosity of 127 cSt (at 40 °C), an acidity value of 0.43 mgKOH·g<sup>−1</sup>, flash and combustion points of 225 and 232 °C, and an oxidation stability of 6 h through the Rancimat method. Also, a kinetic study was carried out (at temperatures ranging from 80 to 140 °C and with catalyst concentrations from 0.3 to 0.9% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i> and working pressures from 210 to 760 mmHg) to establish the main kinetic parameters, obtaining a second-order reaction and an activation energy of 17.8 kJ·mol<sup>−1</sup>. Finally, a conceptual design was included, considering the main components of the facility. Thus, the projected plant worked in a discontinuous regime (producing 2 cubic meters per day), pointing out the feasibility of this plant at an industrial scale.
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spelling doaj-art-2a62ec9b6bdc4e758f21f3a117e2e4952025-01-24T13:19:53ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-01-0115257510.3390/app15020575Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production from Waste Cooking Oil: Transesterification Reactor ModelingPedro M. Álvarez0Javier Collado Contreras1Sergio Nogales-Delgado2Department of Chemical Engineering and Physical-Chemistry, University of Extremadura, Avda. De Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, SpainDepartment of Chemical Engineering and Physical-Chemistry, University of Extremadura, Avda. De Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, SpainDepartment of Applied Physics, University of Extremadura, Avda. De Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, SpainBiodiesel and biolubricants play strategic roles in green technologies, as they can be produced in biorefineries. The design of industrial facilities is essential to assess the industrial implementation of these processes, with few studies about this subject in the literature. The aim of this work was to produce biodiesel and a biolubricant from waste cooking oil through double transesterification with methanol and trimethylolpropane, obtaining high conversion values (>97 and 98%, respectively). The biolubricant (characterized according to the UNE-14214 standard) had a density of 951 kg·m<sup>−3</sup>, a viscosity of 127 cSt (at 40 °C), an acidity value of 0.43 mgKOH·g<sup>−1</sup>, flash and combustion points of 225 and 232 °C, and an oxidation stability of 6 h through the Rancimat method. Also, a kinetic study was carried out (at temperatures ranging from 80 to 140 °C and with catalyst concentrations from 0.3 to 0.9% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i> and working pressures from 210 to 760 mmHg) to establish the main kinetic parameters, obtaining a second-order reaction and an activation energy of 17.8 kJ·mol<sup>−1</sup>. Finally, a conceptual design was included, considering the main components of the facility. Thus, the projected plant worked in a discontinuous regime (producing 2 cubic meters per day), pointing out the feasibility of this plant at an industrial scale.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/2/575fatty acid methyl estersmethanoltrimethylolpropaneantioxidantsreactor designkinetics
spellingShingle Pedro M. Álvarez
Javier Collado Contreras
Sergio Nogales-Delgado
Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production from Waste Cooking Oil: Transesterification Reactor Modeling
Applied Sciences
fatty acid methyl esters
methanol
trimethylolpropane
antioxidants
reactor design
kinetics
title Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production from Waste Cooking Oil: Transesterification Reactor Modeling
title_full Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production from Waste Cooking Oil: Transesterification Reactor Modeling
title_fullStr Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production from Waste Cooking Oil: Transesterification Reactor Modeling
title_full_unstemmed Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production from Waste Cooking Oil: Transesterification Reactor Modeling
title_short Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production from Waste Cooking Oil: Transesterification Reactor Modeling
title_sort biodiesel and biolubricant production from waste cooking oil transesterification reactor modeling
topic fatty acid methyl esters
methanol
trimethylolpropane
antioxidants
reactor design
kinetics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/2/575
work_keys_str_mv AT pedromalvarez biodieselandbiolubricantproductionfromwastecookingoiltransesterificationreactormodeling
AT javiercolladocontreras biodieselandbiolubricantproductionfromwastecookingoiltransesterificationreactormodeling
AT sergionogalesdelgado biodieselandbiolubricantproductionfromwastecookingoiltransesterificationreactormodeling