2017 Volume 60 Issue 4 Pages 170-185
Biodiesel fuel (BDF) was produced by using CaO-loaded alginate capsules via rapeseed oil transesterification with methanol. Analysis of the solid and liquid phases in the CaO-loaded alginate capsules suggested that the main factors for the high BDF yield were the accumulation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in the capsules and the formation of an active glycerin–CaO phase. Moreover, rapeseed oil methanolysis to FAME occurred with CaO-photothermal exchange material-loaded alginate capsules under light irradiation. The increase in the irradiation power increased the temperature inside the capsules, which resulted in a higher BDF yield. CaO (100 mg/g-oil)-active carbon (0.5 mg/g-oil)-loaded capsules showed the best performance (BDF yield: 60 % for 1 h and 90 % for 6 h) among the capsules under light irradiation with a full wavelength range (3.6 W). Under these reaction conditions, the FAME phase contained only 0.37 % Ca from the CaO catalyst with a capsule breakage rate of 53 %.
