Reactive Distillation Process

Biodiesel fuel is made by processing vegetable oil or animal fat into a liquid fuel that can be combusted in a standard diesel engine with no modifications. Biodiesel does not contribute to global warming, is non-toxic, and reduces our nation¿s dependence on foreign oil while promoting economic opportunities in rural America. However, the growth of the biodiesel industry is limited because current production processes require a highly refined (expensive) vegetable oil, and the cost of biodiesel is almost entirely determined by the cost of the feedstock. Furthermore there is a limited supply of vegetable oil in excess of what is needed for food and animal feed. This project will develop a new process for expanding biodiesel output without utilizing any oil or fat feedstock. Instead the process will use low-value feedstocks, such as unrefined oils and wastes, which are much less expensive. Phase I will build and operate an automated pilot scale process, evaluate optimum operating conditions, and evaluate the economics of producing large quantities of biodiesel. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The United States produced over 400 million gallons of biodiesel in 2006. The industry is expected to saturate at around 1 billion gallons per year using refined vegetable oils. By taking advantage of currently unusable waste oils and fats, the industry could grow far beyond that level.