Thermomorphic biphasic system - A greener alternative route to the synthesis of biodiesel

Abstract

The thermomorphic biphasic system of heptane and methanol in the presence of K2CO3was found to be a highly effective, yet simple, method for the production of biodiesel. This process reduced the number of steps in the production, thus generating less waste than the current industrial process. The facility in separation of biodiesel from its byproducts was evaluated by GC-MS and FT-IR analysis. The results showed a virtually undetectable level of glycerol and free fatty acid in the biodiesel. This thermomorphic biphasic system is thus a greener and more economically feasible process. In addition, the alkaline catalyst and methanol were successfully recycled up to five times without any detectable loss of reactivity. © 2013 American Chemical Society.