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Renewable Fuels: Molecular Dynamics Investigations Into Pyrolysis Of Methyl Linoleate, Elson Osakpolor Eguaosa

MSU Graduate Theses

With the rapid depletion of the world’s supply of fossil fuels, especially petroleum products, petroleum prices have risen by approximately 800% between the 1970s and now and are projected to continue rising. It is also expected that the world’s consumption of energy will increase commensurate with its growing population. Although biodiesel is a good renewable alternative, it has its limitations including high production costs and poor low-temperature performance. We seek to improve conventional biodiesel with pyrolysis to produce low molecular-weight compounds with high energy densities. Understanding the pyrolysis path on the atomic scale is key as it will allow us …

In Silico Investigation For The Conversion Of Methyl Oleate To Gasoline, Arkanil Roy

MSU Graduate Theses

Petroleum products are found in all walks of life. From the plastic casing on a cell phone to the gasoline that runs most vehicles, a lot is derived from petroleum. Ubiquitous use of petroleum has adversely affected the environment. Toxic substances such as SOx and NOx are released into the atmosphere during the processing and usage of petroleum products, which contributes to global warming. Inevitable oil spills cause devastating effects to marine ecosystems. The rate of regeneration of petroleum is much slower than the rate of usage that would lead to it being exhausted in the recent future. Hence, a …

Improving Biodiesel Through Pyrolysis: Direct Dynamics Investigations Into Thermal Decomposition Of Methyl Linoleate, Michael Bakker

MSU Graduate Theses

Dependence on petroleum and petrochemical products is unsustainable as it is both a finite resource and environmentally hazardous. Biodiesel is a proposed alternative, but has complications including possessing poor cold weather operability and lacking the ability to supplement other petrochemical products (e.g., ethylene, hexane, etc.) relied upon in society. Pyrolysis of biodiesel has demonstrated the formation of smaller hydrocarbons comprising many of these petrochemical products. Our aim is to computationally simulate the pyrolysis of methyl linoleate, the most prevalent component in biodiesel formed in the US (from soybean). We make use of unimolecular direct dynamics describing intramolecular processes, introducing Temperature …

Gc-Ms Analysis Of Synthesized Biodiesel, Courtney R. Whetstine

Forensic Science Master's Projects

Biodiesel is an alternative energy resource that can replenish depleting natural petroleum storage. Synthesis of biodiesel is cost-efficient as it can be chemically converted from renewable wastes, such as vegetable oil or animal fat. These fuels are also biodegradable and the exhaust emissions from biodiesel are non-toxic and environmentally-friendly. Biodiesel is a stable fuel that performs reliably in all diesel engines. Biodiesel is also easy to synthesize, safe to handle, and works with diesel fuel storage and pumping systems. The United States has an abundance of vegetable oils that have not been widely used to our advantage. Additionally, fast-food restaurants …

Growth, Lipid Production And Biodiesel Potential Of Chromulina Freiburgensis Dofl., An Acidophilic Chrysophyte Isolated From Berkeley Pit Lake, June E. Mohler Mitman

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Microalgae remain a promising, but underdeveloped source of lipids for sustainable biodiesel. Some of the obstacles to cost-effective commercial-scale production have been culture contamination and expensive harvest methods. A chrysophyte isolated from Berkeley Pit Lake and identified as Chromulina freiburgensis, was found to grow rapidly in a pH 2.5 liquid medium and to amass numerous intracellular lipid bodies. This research addresses the scarcity of published knowledge on the topic of chrysophyte species as potential lipid sources for biodiesel. It investigates how growth phase, culture conditions, and harvest timing influence the quantity and composition of lipids produced by this alga. …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Biodiesel Fuels From Furfuryl Alcohol And Spent Coffee Grounds, Amanda Raley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Biodiesel can be synthesized using several different triacylglycerides, alcohols, and catalysts. In this study, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) were produced from their respective alcohols and coffee oil, using either a basic (K₂CO₃) catalyst or an acidic catalyst (H₂SO₄). Fatty acid furfuryl esters (FAFurEs) were produced using commercially-purchased cooking oils (canola, olive, corn, sunflower, and peanut) with furfuryl alcohol, a basic (K₂CO₃) catalyst, a co-solvent (THF), and an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate). All samples were produced using either conventional heating methods …

Evaluating One-Step Catalytic Free Method Including Hydrolysis, Esterification, Transesterification, And Degradation Reactions To Produce Biodiesel From Soybean Oil, Mahmood Gheni Jebur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Due to the environmental and economic impacts of diesel fuel based on petroleum, several studies have been done to find an alternative source of energy. Biodiesel is considered one of these alternative sources. It is a renewable source of energy produced from vegetable oils and animal fats. There are two main reaction routes used to produce biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters). Transesterification reaction is the first route used to convert triglycerides to fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), while hydrolysis followed by esterification reactions are the second route employed to convert triglycerides to free fatty acids (FFA) and then further converted …

Ab Initio Methyl Linoleate Bond Dissociation Energies: First Principles Fishing For Wise Crack Products, Zachary Ryan Wilson

MSU Graduate Theses

With the prices of petroleum reflecting demand for this finite resource, attention has been turned to alternative sources of energy. Biodiesel, defined as fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), exhibits many of the same properties as conventional diesel but is derived from biological sources. FAMEs are subsequently thermally cracked to form more light-weight petrochemical products. I aim to further understand the thermal cracking procedure, at an atomic-level, in hopes that this may aid in future engineering of viable fuels. I studied the effective computational modeling of bond disassociations in the FAME methyl linoleate. Bond dissociation in a 44-reaction database with known …

Functional Expression And Characterization Of A Truncated Candida Antarctica Lipase B In Yeast, Samantha Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Candida antarctica lipase B is an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing ester bonds in a lipid-water interface with potential to become a useful biocatalyst for production of biodiesel fuel. Enzymatically catalyzing the transesterification of triacylglycerides to produce fatty acid alkyl esters (biodiesel) is an environmentally cleaner alternative to the current process which utilizes chemical reagents as catalysts. Optimization and development of strains to express highly active, stable, large quantities of these biocatalysts is essential for inexpensive production of biodiesel. Additionally, lipase enzymes can be immobilized onto a resin, eliminating the need to recover the catalyst from the product and allowing multiple …

Improved Oxidative Stability In Biodiesel Via Commercially-Viable Processing Strategies, Gregory Lepak

All Theses

Biodiesel made from waste cooking oil (WCO) frequently requires antioxidants to meet oxidation stability specifications set forth in ASTM D6751 or EN 14214. In contrast, unrefined cottonseed oil (CSO), containing tocopherols and high concentrations of gossypol, a toxic polyphenolic antioxidant, is unique for biodiesel processing because it produces biodiesel resulting in higher oxidation stability. During biodiesel production, however, only a portion of these endogenous natural antioxidants are suspected to be retained. Because the economics of biodiesel manufacturing rely upon inexpensive sources of triglycerides, emphasis was placed upon developing improved alternative commercially-viable processing strategies where WCO is the main source of …

Application Of Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry For The Study Of Water Accommodated Fractions Of Fossil Fuels And Biodiesel, Ricardo Mccreary

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Even though measures are taken to decrease accidental release of crude oil and refined fuels into the aquatic environment, continued demand of such fuels--particularly in the transportation sector--pose a continued threat to the aquatic environment throughout their handling, processing, and consumption. Even though measures can be taken to remove the visible layers of fuel in water, it has been shown that constituents of these fuels--that partition into water--can have adverse health effects on the aquatic organisms at low concentrations that are not necessarily predictable through the study of the actual fuel's original composition. Consequently, this renders the need for an …

Biodiesel Transesterification Byproducts As Soil Amendments, Solomon Parker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For every ten kilograms of biodiesel that is produced from the transesterification of vegetable oil, approximately 1 kg of glycerol is produced as a byproduct. Also known as glycerin, it is a chemical used in many products including cosmetics, foods, and desiccants. However, the crude glycerol created during biodiesel production is tainted with potassium hydroxide and methanol making it unsuitable for commercial use without costly refinement. With increase in production of biodiesel driven by rising fuel prices, the market has become glutted with glycerol and it is on the threshold of becoming a waste product. Common methods for disposing glycerol …

Analysis Of Biodiesel Quality Using Reversed Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Kellyann M. Murphy

Pomona Senior Theses

The alternative fuel biodiesel is produced from the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fat to fatty acid methyl esters. Pomona has a reactor on campus that can be used to run this reaction and produce biodiesel. The use of biodiesel has been found to lower air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions, but can be potentially harmful to the engines if it contains impurities. This paper proposes a method using high-performance liquid chromatography to test the quality of biodiesel. This method utilizes instrumentation and materials that are available in Pomona College's Chemistry Department, requires very little sample preparation, and is …

Production Of Biodiesel From Oleaginous Organisms Using Underutilized Wastewaters, Valerie Godfrey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As part of the BioEnergy Team at Utah State Univeristy, my research objectives have been centered around the common theme of innovating new methods and
technology for producing biological compounds and, by means of chemical conversion and/or extraction, isolating new forms of biodiesel available for transportation fuel.
Within the broad scope of this project, I focused on the replacement of freshwater in cultivating such biological systems with wastewaters. If accomplished and correctly
applied, such research would reduce the environmental impact of biodiesel production by reducing the demand for freshwater. It also would reduce production costs by reducing the amount of …

1. Improving The Yield Of Biodiesel From Microalgae And Other Lipids. 2. Studies Of The Wax Ester Biosynthetic Pathway And Potential Biotechnological Application, Bradley D. Wahlen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The production of biofuels and oleochemicals from renewable sources offers an opportunity to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The work contained in this dissertation has focused on developing and improving methods for the production of biodiesel from non-traditional feedstocks and understanding biosynthetic pathways that result in the production of oleochemicals and fuels.

Pure vegetable oil can account for 70-80% of the total cost of biodiesel production. Many low-cost oils contain high amounts of free fatty acids, which are unsuitable for base-catalyzed transesterification. Herein an approach is described that efficiently accomplishes the simultaneous esterification and transesterification of both free fatty …

Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry Analysis Pertaining To Biofuel Process Development, Sushma Dendukuri

Online Theses and Dissertations

Mass spectrometry (MS) has undergone a revolution with the introduction of a new group of desorption/ionization (DI) techniques known collectively as Ambient Ionization mass spectrometry. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry allows for direct analysis of analytes and typically requires little or no sample preparation. Specifically, Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) has developed rapidly and allowed investigations to occur with the analysis of biomass after various pretreatments to determine the pretreatment biomass degradation efficiency. The degradation of the initial biomass structure is a very important step before other chemical treatments can occur to generate needed sugars. Since generated sugars aid in …

Biodiesel Production Using Chemical And Enzymatic Catalysts And Improvement Of Cold Flow Properties Using Additives, Hem Joshi

All Dissertations

Biodiesel production was carried out from soybean, canola and cottonseed oils along with poultry fat using catalytic potassium hydroxide. Further, the physical properties of biodiesel were studied with addition of ethyl levulinate (ethyl 4-oxopentanoate), short-chain alcohols (ethanol, isopropanol and butanol), and commercial cold flow improver (CFI) additives. The effects of adding ethyl levulinate, short-chain alcohols, and commercial additives were determined by studying their influence on the acid value (AV), cloud point (CP), pour point (PP), cold filter plugging point (CFPP), induction period (IP), kinematic viscosity (KV) and the flash point (FP). The results showed improved low temperature properties of the …

Spatial Light Dilution As A Technique For Conversion Of Solar Energy To Algal Biomass, Daniel J. Dye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A photobioreactor has been designed and developed to efficiently utilize solar irradiance through spatial dilution of sunlight. The concept of spatial light dilution is simple: incident sunlight is spread over a large surface area, thus reducing the photon flux density of the light. The implementation of this technique, however, is difficult. The reactor described within uses a new approach to spatial light dilution, utilizing recently-developed optical components to diffuse concentrated sunlight inside an algae culture. Preliminary productivity tests indicate a 2-3 fold increase in productivity per unit aperture (sunlight collection area) over a control reactor with direct-sunlight. Aperture productivity of …

Nutrient Utilization From Anaerobic Digester Effluent Through Algae Cultivation, Shantanu Wahal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nutrients present in digested animal waste can be utilized for algae cultivation under suitable conditions. Algal growth, however, depends on the chemical forms and speciation of these nutrients. In this study a chemical equilibrium model was first used to describe nutrient speciation and predict conditions that enhance the solubility of nutrients in anaerobic digester effluent. Dilution with water and separation of large particulates greatly improved nutrient availability and light penetration - conditions favorable for algal cultivation. Algae growth was tested using three strains - Scenedesmus dimorphous (UTEX # 417), Chlorella vulgaris (UTEX# 265), and an algal isolate (designated as LLAI …