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UC Davis process promises 24% higher biodiesel yields

UC Davis researchers said their new biodiesel process would be suitable for crops like safflower

Chemists at the University of California, Davis, have come up with a new process they believe will increase the yield of biodiesel from oilseed crops by up to 24%.

The patented method converts oils and carbohydrates from plants like the safflower into biodiesel in a single process, the University said.

It should also improve the performance of the biodiesel itself, especially in cold weather, according to the scientists.

A paper describing the method has been published in the journal Energy & Fuels.

The new process converts plant carbohydrates – the sugars, starches, and cellulose that make up stems, leaves, seed husks and other structures – into levulinic acid esters at the same time that plant oils are converted to biodiesel itself.

These levulinic acid esters add to the biodiesel component to produce a fuel cocktail that performs better at low temperatures than conventional biodiesel, according to the researchers. Conventional biodiesel production leaves the carbohydrate material behind.

Performance

Mark Mascal, professor of chemistry at UC Davis and co-author of the paper, said the fuel cocktail has a similar boiling range to conventional biodiesel, but is thinner and becomes waxy at a lower temperature.

Performance at low temperatures is a significant problem with B100 (conventional biodiesel), Prof Mascal explained.

“Our hope is that this blend of levulinate esters and biodiesel would perform better over a wider range of temperatures than biodiesel,” he added.

Levulinate esters are nontoxic and are already used as food additives.

The costs of the new process would be “somewhat higher” than conventional biodiesel production, the researchers concede. However, they believe this would be offset by the improved fuel yields and performance.

The researchers are now partnering with Bently Biofuels of Minden, Nev., to test the performance of levulinate/B100 blends.