Pecologix Political Ecology Blotter

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2109.2011.02974.x

► Water-containing ethanol was mixed with diesel using biodiesel and butanol as stabilizer and co-solvent, respectively. ► Fuel blends with 4 v% water-containing ethanol, 1 v% butanol, 5–30 v% biodiesel and conventional diesel yielded a stable blended fuel after more than 30 days. ► Due to more complete combustion and water quench effect, target fuel [...]

A new fuel additive, namely solketal tert-butyl ether (STBE), was developed and optimized under continuous flow conditions using a Corning® Advanced-Flow™ glass reactor. STBE was obtained in two steps from glycerol, a renewable building-block produced in large amount in the processing of biodiesel. The advantages of the highly engineered Corning glass reactor included high mixing [...]

The objective of this work was to study the long term storage stability of JCB (Jatropha curcas biodiesel). For the objective JCB was mixed with PY (Pyrogallol) and different metal contaminants. JCB samples were stored for 6 months in open air exposed to sunlight. Different properties were checked with respect to time. It was found [...]

Microalgal lipids are the oils of the future for sustainable biodiesel production. One of the most important decisions in obtaining oil from microalgae is the choice of species. A total of 45 algal cultures were isolated from a freshwater lake at Wonju, South Korea. Five microalgal isolates were selected based on their morphology and ease [...]

Despite claims that microalgal biofuels are environmentally friendlier alternatives to conventional fuels, debate surrounding its ecological benefits or drawbacks still exists. LCA is used to analyze various biofuel production technologies from ‘cradle to gate’. Energy and CO2 balances are carried out for a hypothetical integrated PBR-raceway microalgae-to-biodiesel production in Singapore. Based on a functional unit [...]

Castor bean (Ricinus communis) is a tropical plant that is distributed widely across the world. In the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil, R. communis is largely cultivated mainly for the production of non-edible oil used in the manufacture of biodiesel. Considering the interest in expanded castor bean seed production for increasing biodiesel production in Brazil, [...]