Designing Eco-Efficient Biodiesel Production Processes From Waste Vegetable Oils

In this work the conventional alkali-catalyzed transesterification process for biodiesel production from waste vegetable oils is studied considering the two process alternatives normally used industrially: with and without free fatty acids (FFA) pre-treatment. Simulation models of these process alternatives are developed using the chemical process simulator ASPEN Plus(R) and their potential environmental impacts (PEIs) and economic potentials are determined and compared. Results show that the contribution to total PEIs of the process alternative with the FFA pre-treatment is 25% higher than the alternative without pre-treatment. Concerning the economic potential the process alternative with the FFA pre-treatment is greater showing a net present value of about 1.8 times higher than the alternative without the FFA pre-treatment. The comparison using plant data will be performed as future work.