Four simple questions and such a variety of response as you might expect from the unusual collection of engineers, biologists, marketeers, customers, financiers, policy leaders, advanced R&D specialists, mathematicians, advocates and watchful critics that make up the advanced bioeconomy. Where were you on July 27, 2007? Where are you now? What inspires you? What do […]
In the UK, researchers at Lancaster University led by Dr Vesna Najdanovic-Visak have developed a one-step system for making biodiesel from spent coffee grounds. The team found they are able to combine the processes by using just methanol and a catalyst – removing the need for hexane altogether and saving on chemical waste. In addition, […]
In the UK, although a small number of businesses are using spent coffee grounds to make biofuels, researchers at Lancaster University have found a way to significantly improve the efficiency of the process- vastly increasing biofuel from coffee’s commercial competitiveness. The chemical engineers have consolidated the existing multi-stage process into one step (known as in-situ […]
The most important technological advance in biodiesel in recent years has reached commercial-scale in Eastern Nebraska, with the startup of the Duonix Beatrice biodiesel plant, which is and the first commercial-scale application of Benefuel’s innovative ENSEL technology. ENSEL technology is capable of converting a range of lower cost feedstocks such as recycled cooking oil and […]
In Nebraska, Flint Hills Resources and Benefuel® Inc. announced the startup of the Duonix Beatrice biodiesel plant and the first successful commercial-scale application of Benefuel’s innovative ENSEL technology. ENSEL technology is capable of converting a range of lower cost feedstocks such as recycled cooking oil and distillers corn oil into high-quality biodiesel. Once fully operational, […]
In Malaysia, researchers from the Universiti Putra Malaysia have developed a methodology to produce biodiesel from algae using nanocatalysts and synthesized through a calcination–hydration–dehydration technique. The nano-CaO catalysis impact was investigated in a two-step transesterification of triglycerides from crude Jatropha oil as a biodiesel along with other reaction parameters such as catalyst ratio, reaction time, […]
In India, student researchers at IIT Delhi have developed a small-scale UCO biodiesel unit that will allow individual UCO producers like hotels and eventually households to produce their own fuel affordably. The transesterification time for the batch process system is only about an hour, and can be adapted for using oilseed feedstocks rather than just […]
By Gerald Kutney. VP, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest In the modern world, fuels are often equated with fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. However, fossil fuels only came into their own during the 20th century. From the time of the caveman until the early Industrial Revolution, biofuels – namely wood and […]
At 8:30am, there’s a standing daily meeting of the key traders in Gary Haer’s sales group at REG headquarters in Ames, Iowa. And they’re not kidding. Everyone stands. For 15 minutes there’s the rat-a-tat-tat of rumor, fact, competitors, pricing, spreads, the who’s selling what and where, the buying and selling of diesel, renewable diesel and biodiesel across North […]
In Iran, scientists at the Petroleum University of Technology in Ahwaz have developed a high-speed conversion that turns waste cooking oil into fuel using ultrasound and caustic soda. Details are reported in the International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology. The team has demonstrated that biodiesel can be quickly produced from waste cooking oil […]
