Process sustainability of biodiesel production process from green seed canola oil using homogeneous and heterogeneous acid catalysts

摘要

In this study, the sustainability of homogeneous and heterogeneous acid catalyzed biodiesel production process from green seed canola (GSC) is evaluated. The term "sustainability" is assessed based on four criteria, e.g. process economics, process safety, environmental impact and process energy efficiency. Based on the assessment, it is concluded that both the processes are economically profitable, when the cost of the feedstock is $ 0.35/kg. Heterogeneous add catalyzed process shows higher profitability. Comparatively, heterogeneous acid catalyzed process is a safer process and creates less environmental impact. Additionally, heterogeneous acid catalyzed process is more energy efficient and more environment friendly than homogeneous process. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.