Economic aspects of biodiesel production from tannery waste fats

Abstract

Vysoká cena bionafty je způsobena vysokou cenou hlavní suroviny - rostlinných olejů. Možnost využít odpadní tuky pro výrobu bionafty je určena celkovými provozními náklady na jejich zpracování

High price of biodiesel results from high prices of main feedstock ? soybean (USA) and canola oil (Europe). The profit of utilization of cheap tannery fat wastes for biodiesel production depends on processing costs of the pre-treatment technology which includes their refining and esterification of free fatty acids. A suitable ratio of tetramethylammonium hydroxide, which is used as an alkali esterification agent of free fatty acids and simultaneously as a transesterification catalyst enables making biodiesel production from tannery waste feedstock economically profitable. Optimization of the pre-treatment technology is presented using proposed mathematical model. The final biodiesel properties can be improved by its production from the blends of the waste fats with waste oils.