Optimising the Conversion of

Waste Cooking Oil into Biodiesel

CHEN XIAOMING, DR. DAVE WATSON, LORRAINE ALLEN, DR. WEI LIANGQIAN, ZHANG TONG, WILMA WILSON, STEVE STEER, NORMAN MACIVER.

University of Strathclyde; Apple Fuels Ltd. Glasgow; University of Glasgow (x.chen.1@research.gla.ac.uk)

ABSTRACT MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS RESULTS

BACKGROUND: • Materials and Equipment
Local Glasgow based biodiesel company collects waste cooking • *Materials: Waste cooking oil; Pure methanol; 98% H2SO4; •Waste cooking oil •Biodiesel
oil from restaurants and fish/chip shops. After settling the Sodium hydroxide pellets; Ethyl acetate. Viscosity and Cloud Point Comparisons between
WCO, 40% of the bottom solid layer of the WCO is discarded • *Equipment: GC-MS; GC; IR; Viscosity U tube; Separation
as it would be costly to convert. WCO with high free fatty acid funnel; Rotary .
Lab Biodiesel Groups and Control Groups
content was used for laboratory biodiesel production experiment
Groups Cloud Point Sample Nos Groups Viscosity Sample Nos
and later scaled up for the company.
Lab 11.57°C 27 Lab 11’34” 27

OBJECTIVE: Control 11°C 5 Control 12’19” 5

We aimed to increase production yield by 50% with this new

process. Implementation was later approved and sponsored by
Scottish enterprise. Boxplot of cloud point C, cloud point B Boxplot of relative viscosity C, relative viscosity B

13.0 14
3 to 4 K litres of biodiesel sold to local customers everyday.
12.5
13
• Processes:
12.0 • *Step 1: Determine acid value
12

• *Step 2: Heat oil and remove water

Data

Data
11.5
11
11.0 • *Step 3: Acidic esterification: heat to 50C, add 0.5 -
10
10.5 1.0% H2SO4, mix with 1:15 -1:20 molar ratio of FFA to
10.0
9 methanol
cloud point C cloud point B relative viscosity C relative viscosity B
•BACKGROUND THEORY • *Step 4: Prepare sodium methoxide solution 30mg/ml
• *Step 5: Basic transesterification: heat to 60C, add 16 -
18% sodium methoxide by weight of TG in waste
GC-MS, IR and Standard Methyl Esters GC Tests cooking oil to feedstock
•Acidic esterification equation • *Step 6: Separate the top and bottom layers
•Identify: GC-MS and IR tests
• *Step 7: Wash with warm water
•Generate Calibration Equation for quantification tests of
methyl esters: C (16:0), C (18:0) & C (18:1) methyl
• EXPERIMENT METHOD esters
• Acid Value Determination according to BP monograph;
• Evaluate the weight of FFA and TG in the waste cooking oil CONCLUSIONS
and proper amount of catalysts and methanol needed;
•Transesterification equation • GC results to determine the concentration of the methyl  Makes better quality biodiesel;
esters in biodiesel. By comparing different batches to make
conclusion which method was the optimized.  Increases 40% or production yield, generate £
• GC-MS and IR tests help to identify the methyl esters and
40K revenue every month;
indicate the conversion rate.
2 Sample t-test to Evaluate the GC Experiments  Reduces cost of disposing solid waste cooking oil;
of Grouped Biodiesel Samples
Methyl esters GC results among different stages Methyl esters GC results between 2 groups  New research following this thread to design an
Stage Total esters RSD Groups Esters conc. Sample Nos
(mg/ml) Mg/ml
automated portable biodiesel production
Acidic 0.01070. 6.7%
Lab 0.7243 27 machines.
Basic 0.2441 2.8%

Optimized 0.7742 3.2% Controlled 0.6923 5

Boxplot of controlled group, lab batches •2 samples t-tests: better

0.90 For additional information please contact:
OBJECTIVE 0.85
Conversion rate of esters
0.80
using the optimized
method Chen Xiaoming (x.chen.1@research.gla.ac.uk)
Data

0.75

We aimed to increase production 0.70

Civil Engineering Department
0.65 Rankine Building, Oakfield Ave.
yield by 50% through this new process! Which is
0.60
controlled group lab batches
University of Glasgow
Is valued at 89p/L X 2000L = £1780/day of G12 8LT
sales income plus saving cost of disposal !