(Notícia em Inglês)
Researchers from Down to Earth Energy, a biodiesel research and production facility in Monroe, Ga., and the University of Georgia have developed a new, recyclable biodiesel catalyst. “Most current production methods use concentrated sulfuric acid and caustic methoxides as catalysts in these reactions,” Tyson Johnson, Down to Earth Energy CFO, said. “The problem that all biodiesel producers know too well is that using these liquid acids and caustics creates a whole host of problems that have to be dealt with in post-processing.”
The answer to all of those problems, Johnson told Biodiesel Magazine, is to reuse the catalyst by keeping it in one place. “We’ve taken effective catalytic functional groups and immobilized them on a solid substrate.” The catalysts remain in a fixed column, allowing for further use in future reactions. “We’ve got a two-stage heterogeneous reaction with recoverable and reusable catalysts,” Johnson said, adding that the process drastically cuts down on the waste effluents that result from conventional production methods.
biodieselmagazine.com»
Researchers from Down to Earth Energy, a biodiesel research and production facility in Monroe, Ga., and the University of Georgia have developed a new, recyclable biodiesel catalyst. “Most current production methods use concentrated sulfuric acid and caustic methoxides as catalysts in these reactions,” Tyson Johnson, Down to Earth Energy CFO, said. “The problem that all biodiesel producers know too well is that using these liquid acids and caustics creates a whole host of problems that have to be dealt with in post-processing.”
The answer to all of those problems, Johnson told Biodiesel Magazine, is to reuse the catalyst by keeping it in one place. “We’ve taken effective catalytic functional groups and immobilized them on a solid substrate.” The catalysts remain in a fixed column, allowing for further use in future reactions. “We’ve got a two-stage heterogeneous reaction with recoverable and reusable catalysts,” Johnson said, adding that the process drastically cuts down on the waste effluents that result from conventional production methods.
biodieselmagazine.com»