Aklan Researchers Produce Diesel Additives From Waste Fats And Oils
Used animal fats and vegetable oils from meat processing plants and food servers can be converted into biodiesel, which may be used in a standard combustion engine without modifications and may be blended with petroleum diesel to improve its quality.
Based on a study conducted by researchers from the Aklan State University (ASU), these wastes produce a clear liquid without unpleasant smell with the same properties as mineral fossil diesel oil.
ASU researchers said that an engine fueled by a mixture of 80% petroleum diesel and 20% biodiesel had lesser smoke emissions and lower engine noise compared to that fueled by pure petroleum diesel.
They also showed that petroleum diesel and biodiesel were similar in density, viscosity, pH, cloud point, and freezing point. Biodiesel does not only provide sustainable energy, but also ensures a sustainable environment because it is renewable or recyclable.
The National Power Corporation and Philippine National Oil Company Energy Development Corporation, citing a previous study by the Department of Science and Technology, revealed that biodiesel from vegetable oils and animal fats has been found to match, if not surpass, petroleum diesel in terms of engine performance and lifespan.
Incidentally, the problem of disposing 2000 kilograms of waste animal fats and oils produced by meat product manufacturers and food servers in Kalibo, Aklan and Boracay Island every month motivated the ASU researchers to conduct this study. Biodiesel is produced by transesterification. In this process, alcohol is used in the presence of a catalyst such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to produce alcohol esters of animal fats with glycerin as by-product.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) evaluated this research during the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium Research and Development Symposium.