Taiwanese researchers use nanoparticles to produce algae biodiesel

In Taiwan, researchers at the National Taiwan University have developed a synthetic magnetic nanoparticle that helps to harvest oil from microalgae. The nanoparticles are produced from iron oxide and silicon dioxide, then using an alkaline-based catalyst can produce the biodiesel from the magnetically extracted oil. The new method can extract 97.1 percent of the fats for conversion into biodiesel compared to less than 60 percent using existing technology. The nanoparticle technology can also be applied to waste cooking oil feedstock to boost production yields.