RUDN University chemists synthesize biodiesel from jatropha curcas plant
2021-07-01
(Press-News.org) RUDN University chemists have proposed a new method of producing fuel from Jatropha Curcas, a poisonous tropical plant. Natural minerals and a non-toxic additive from vegetable raw materials are used for that. The reaction efficiency is 85%. The fuel can be used in diesel internal combustion engines. The results are published in the International Journal of Green Energy.
Jatropha Curcas is a common plant in many tropical regions. Its seeds contain lots of oil, but they cannot be used agriculture because the oil contains toxins that are dangerous for people and animals. But the composition of jatropha oil is suitable for the manufacture of biodiesel. One of challenge of the processing the plant raw materials is to select sufficiently effective and safe catalysts. RUDN University chemists found a suitable catalyst and selected the optimal additive-a substance that improves the useful properties of the fuel.
"Mineral catalysts with a complex chemical composition, for example, zeolites -- calcium and sodium silicates, have performed well in biodiesel production from vegetable and animal fats. They are quite active, eco-friendly and can be reused. But biodiesel, like hydrocarbons, cannot be used without improving additives", Ezeldin Osman, PhD student at RUDN University.
RUDN University chemists decided to use furfural as an additive for diesel biodiesel. It is obtained from plant waste, such as sawdust or straw, it improves the characteristics of diesel fuel, in particular, its cetane number is an indicator of flammability.
As a first step, the researchers obtained biodiesel from Jatropha Curcas oil. To do this, they mixed the oil with three times as much methanol and added a catalyst -- minerals from the zeolite group, mainly thomsonite. The catalyst amount was 5 times lower than the oil. RUDN University chemists also tested other reaction settings, but the highest yield of biodiesels (up to 85% in the composition of the reaction products) was obtained at this ratio of reagents and a temperature of 75°C.
The main part of the experiment was the selection of the optimal amount of furfural to improve the characteristics of biodiesel. RUDN University chemists mixed biodiesel and the additive in equal quantities, in other variants they used twice as much additive as fuel, and vice versa. It turned out that the highest cetane number (64.1) is in fuel containing 66.6% of furfural. This is 4.3 units higher than that of biodiesels without furfural. In this ratio, the additive removes all compounds that impair flammability from the biodiesel, such as alcohols and carbonyl compounds. The achieved characteristics of biodiesel from jatropha kurkas allow it to be used in internal combustion engines in the future.
"The additive reduced the content of aluminum, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron and other substances in biodiesel that form ash -- a non-combustible solid residue of fuel. This not only improves fuel performance, but also reduces the risk of engine wear. At the same time, furfural is a stable additive at high temperatures, environmentally friendly in production and application. We will continue experiments to improve diesel fuel with this substance", Tatiana Sheshko, PhD, the head of the Adsorption and Catalysis Laboratory at RUDN University.
INFORMATION:
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2021-07-01
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- Researchers from Brown University and MIT have developed a new data science framework that allows users to process data with the programming language Python -- without paying the "performance tax" normally associated with a user-friendly language.
The new framework, called Tuplex, is able to process data queries written in Python up to 90 times faster than industry-standard data systems like Apache Spark or Dask. The research team unveiled the system in research presented at SIGMOD 2021, a premier data processing conference, and have made the software freely available to all.
"Python is the primary programming language used by people doing data science," said Malte Schwarzkopf, an assistant professor of computer ...
2021-07-01
A collaboration led by Distinguished Professor Dr. Kazunori Ikebukuro from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan, discovered that G-quadruplex (G4)-forming DNA binds myoglobin through a parallel-type G4 structure. Through the G4 binding, the enzymatic activity of myoglobin increases over 300-fold compared to that of myoglobin alone (Figure). This finding indicates that DNA may work as a carrier of genetic information in living organisms and act as a regulator of unknown biological phenomena.
"Aptamers" are nucleic acid-based synthetic ligands that can be used against many target molecules with high affinity and specificity. Some aptamers that bind to proteins ...
2021-07-01
Zeolites are extremely porous materials: Ten grams can have an internal surface area the size of a soccer field. Their cavities make them useful in catalyzing chemical reactions and thus saving energy. An international research team has now made new findings regarding the role of water molecules in these processes. One important application is the conversion of biomass into biofuel.
Fuel made from biomass is considered to be climate-neutral, although energy is still needed to produce it: The desired chemical reactions require high levels of temperature and pressure.
"If ...
2021-07-01
WASHINGTON -- If you've ever tried to capture a sunset with your smartphone, you know that the colors don't always match what you see in real life. Researchers are coming closer to solving this problem with a new set of algorithms that make it possible to record and display color in digital images in a much more realistic fashion.
"When we see a beautiful scene, we want to record it and share it with others," said Min Qiu, leader of the Laboratory of Photonics and Instrumentation for Nano Technology (PAINT) at Westlake University in China. "But we don't want to see a digital photo or video with the wrong colors. Our new algorithms can help digital camera and electronic display developers better adapt their ...
2021-07-01
There is a significant discrepancy between theoretical and observed amounts of lithium in our universe. This is known as the cosmological lithium problem, and it has plagued cosmologists for decades. Now, researchers have reduced this discrepancy by around 10%, thanks to a new experiment on the nuclear processes responsible for the creation of lithium. This research could point the way to a more complete understanding of the early universe.
There is a famous saying that, "In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not." This holds true in every academic domain, but it's especially common in cosmology, the study of the entire ...
2021-07-01
A wonder of nature
As a human cell begins division, its 23 chromosomes duplicate into identical copies that remain joined at a region called the centromere. Here lies the kinetochore, a complicated assembly of proteins that binds to thread-like structures, the microtubules. As mitosis progresses, the kinetochore gives green light to the microtubules to tear the DNA copies apart, towards the new forming cells. "The kinetochore is a beautiful, flawless machine: You almost never lose a chromosome in a normal cell!", says Musacchio. "We already know the proteins that constitute it, yet important questions about how the kinetochore works are still open: How does it rebuild itself during chromosome replication? ...
2021-07-01
Researchers at the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku, Finland, study insect biodiversity particularly in Amazonia and Africa. In their studies, they have discovered hundreds of species previously unknown to science. Many of them are exciting in their size, appearance, or living habits.
"The species we have discovered show what magnificent surprises the Earth's rainforests can contain. The newly discovered Dolichomitus meii wasp is particularly interesting for its large size and unique colouring. With a quick glance, its body looks black but glitters electric blue in light. Moreover, its wings are golden yellow. Therefore, you could say it's like a flying jewel," says Postdoctoral Researcher Diego Pádua from the Instituto Nacional ...
2021-07-01
Contrary to what science once suggested, older people with a declining sense of smell do not have comprehensively dampened olfactory ability for odors in general - it simply depends upon the type of odor. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen reached this conclusion after examining a large group of older Danes' and their intensity perception of common food odours.
That grandpa and grandma aren't as good at smelling as they once were, is something that many can relate to. And, it has also been scientifically demonstrated. One's sense of smell gradually begins to decline from about the age of 55. Until now, it was believed that one's sense of smell broadly ...
2021-07-01
Plastic waste is considered one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. IASS researchers surveyed consumers in Germany about their use of plastic packaging. Their research reveals that fundamental changes in infrastructures and lifestyles, as well as cultural and economic transformation processes, are needed to make zero-waste shopping the norm.
96 percent of the German population consider it important to reduce packaging waste. Nevertheless, the private end consumption of packaging in Germany has increased continuously since 2009. At 3.2 million tons in 2018, the amount of plastic packaging waste generated by end consumers in Germany ...
2021-07-01
One year after infection by SARS-CoV-2, most people maintain anti-Spike antibodies regardless of the severity of their symptoms, according to a study with healthcare workers co-led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), the Catalan Health Institute (ICS) and the Jordi Gol Institute (IDIAP JG), with the collaboration of the Daniel Bravo Andreu Private Foundation. The results suggest that vaccine-generated immunity will also be long-lasting.
One of the key questions to better predict the pandemic's evolution is the duration of natural immunity. A growing number of studies suggest that most people generate a humoral ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] RUDN University chemists synthesize biodiesel from jatropha curcas plant
