Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Vegetable oils
Recycled grease
Sulfuric acid
+ methanol
Dilute acid
esterification
Methanol + KOH
Transesterification
Crude biodiesel
Crude
glycerin
Methanol recovery
Refining
Glycerin
refining
Biodiesel
Glycerin
FIGURE 5.7
Biodiesel process.
TABLE 5.8
Products from Hydrocarbons vs. Carbohydrates
Total Production
(millions of tons)
% Derived
from Plants
Product
Adhesives
5.0
40.0
Fatty acids
2.5
40.0
Surfactants
3.5
35.0
Acetic acid
2.3
17.5
Plasticizers
0.8
15.0
Activated carbon
1.5
12.0
Detergents
12.6
11.0
Pigments
15.5
6.0
Dyes
4.5
6.0
Wall points
7.8
3.5
Inks
3.5
3.5
Plastics
30.0
1.8
Source:
ILSR,
Accelerating the Shift to a Carbohydrate Economy:
The Federal Role
, Executive Summary of the Minority
Report of the Biomass Research and Development
Technical Advisory Committee, Institute for Local Self-
Reliance, Washington, DC, 2002.
