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Scientists in China are reporting development of a catalyst made from shrimp shells that could transform production of biodiesel fuel into a faster, less expensive, and more environmentally friendly process.
Researcher Xinsheng Zheng and his colleagues describe development of a new catalyst produced from shrimp shells. In laboratory tests, the shrimp shell catalysts converted canola oil to biodiesel (89 percent conversion in three hours) faster and more efficiently than some conventional catalysts. The scientists also said that the new catalysts can be reused and the process minimizes waste production and pollution, .
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3 hours and 89% is well short of the performance of existing catalysts. Conventional alkaline catalysts can hit over 99% ester within 20 minutes in pressurised systems.
ReplyDeleteThey need to reach 96.5% ester before it is classified as true biodiesel.
It's interesting but the next generation hydrogenated "Renewable Diesel" makes more sense as there are no material compatibility issues and no need for methanol.