Biodiesel against Petrodiesel: Which is Better for the Environment?

Meka Pavan Kalyan^*
*Correspondence: Dr. Meka Pavan Kalyan, Department of Pharmacy, Avanthi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cherukupally, India, Email:

About the Study

For usage in automobiles with unmodified diesel engines, biodiesel can be blended with regular petro diesel in any proportion. Unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter are significantly decreased in exhaust emissions, making petro diesel derived from fossil fuels up to 75% cleaner. Because biodiesel has no sulphur and sulphur dioxide emissions. It has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially in the trucking industry. Canola oil is produced in large amounts in Canada for domestic consumption. A lot of it comes through restaurant deep fryers and has to be thrown out after a few days. Biodiesel is produced primarily from the transesterification of oils or fats through a base catalyzed process. Biofuel processors are used by some people to convert local crops (corn) into renewable fuel (fiber cellulose ethanol) that can be used to substitute gasoline or generate energy, saving money and improving the environment. Because the bio feedstock used in their manufacturing is deemed carbon neutral, second generation biodiesel might contribute to large reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from transportation. The life cycle sustainability of second generation biodiesel sourced from various feedstocks and produced in various production methods, including integrated bio refineries, is examined. Water consumption, global warming, acidification, eutrophication, and biodiversity loss are among the environmental sustainability issues discussed. The socioeconomic implications of biofuels are also examined, including feedstock and capital costs, value addition through by-product production, and societal acceptance.

Biodiesel essentials

Biodiesel must have a cetane number of 40 or above (to be greater than petro diesel), which is a measurement of the quality of the fuel combustion during compression ignition. Cold-flow properties, density, lubricity, and sulphur content are some of the other indicators of diesel quality. Biodiesel made from algae lipids, like ethanol obtained from enzymatic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass, was considered as one of the most promising alternative biofuels two years ago. Biodiesel can be produced by converting Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) to fatty acid ethyl esters, which is catalyzed by immobilized lipase and separated downstream utilizing supercritical CO₂.

Acid content, appearance, calorific value, colour, ester, odour, sediment, sludge, specific gravity, sulphur, viscosity, and water content are all evaluated in biodiesel analysis. Near-infrared and midinfrared spectroscopies have both been used to analyze biodiesel quality, which is essential for commercialization and market acceptance. Low-level elemental sulphur and nitrogen detection have been the focus of biodiesel study for algae, algal, jatropha, soy and sun flower oils, which require ongoing structural composition validation. ICP-AES (Atomic Emission Spectroscopy) and ICPMS( Mass spectroscopy) provide standard analyses for carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur.

Conclusion

Petro diesel will most likely be up-converted for use in high-valueadded consumer products as biodiesel redefines the future of renewable fuel. Nanotechnology-based techniques can improve the efficiency of oil refineries while also minimizing pollution risks to the environment.