Project Title
Abstract/Description
America’s transportation sector is the key link between our growing dependency on oil, and resulting global warming pollution. Petroleum in our cars and trucks accounts for two-thirds of our total oil used and one-third of the U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel source and an alternative to petroleum diesel. Biodiesel burns much cleaner than petroleum diesel, producing a significantly lower amount of toxic and greenhouse gas emissions.1 Whereas, there is only a finite amount of petroleum in the earth, biodiesel is produced from renewable resources and even recycled resources such as waste vegetable oil. Despite the benefits, biodiesel has some problems with gelling at cold temperatures, and efficiency issues and high waste volumes in large scale production.2 But with the benefits biodiesel provides to human health, the environment, sustainability and the economy, it would be worthwhile to solve these problems so this resource can be utilized to its fullest potential.
Biodiesel is composed of fatty acid methyl esters derived from vegetable oils. The production of biodiesel from BSU waste vegetable oil (WVO) would provide positive impacts for the institution, including financial and educational benefits. BSU would no longer have to pay for the disposal of WVO and would not be as dependent on petroleum diesel, thus reducing the cost of fueling campus diesel vehicles. BSU would be able to use a biodiesel production facility as a learning tool for students in introductory, intermediate and advanced chemistry courses, non-major courses, undergraduate research, STREAMS and K-12 outreach. This would allow students to acquire a better understanding of biodiesel production at the lab and manufacturing scale. BSU could become a regional research, education and outreach center on biodiesel production and its use, especially for those interested in small scale production for their own business or as an educational teaching tool. With such strong benefits for BSU, its students, and the community, it is worthwhile to invest in research that will permit the actualization of this potentially lucrative renewable fuel source.
Recommended Citation
MacMurdo, Michael
(2014).
Preliminary Assessment of Instrumental Methods to Evaluate the Purity of Biodiesel Produced from Waste Vegetable Oil.
Undergraduate Review, 10, 104-110.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev/vol10/iss1/22
Rights Statement
Articles published in The Undergraduate Review are the property of the individual contributors and may not be reprinted, reformatted, repurposed or duplicated, without the contributor’s consent.