Wake Forest develops sugar-based catalyst for esterification

In North Carolina, a Wake Forest University project has developed a new sugar-based catalyst that could cut the cost of producing biofuels from poor quality waste oils and fats. The project has created an alternative to sulfuric acid, the traditional catalyst for esterification to convert free fatty acids into biodiesel, that is inexpensive and environmentally friendly. The catalyst could reduce costs by as much as 15% for a small-scale biodiesel production facility.

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