Green biodiesel based on non-vegetable oil and catalytic ability of waste materials as heterogeneous catalyst

ABSTRACT

Fossil fuels have remained a major global energy source for many decades, and their use has lingered on with downbeat attendants, considering their high demands and environmental issues caused by overexploitation and exploration. The increase in global energy consumption, emerging issues of climate change, and perceived decline in fossil reserves due to the world’s increasing population has raised serious concerns and clamor for the replacement of fossil fuel with biological substitutes. Biodiesels have received much attention in all countries due to their renewability, non-toxicity, biodegradability, and low pollution emissions, and are projected as a promising alternative to fossil fuels. Although biodiesel is mainly a derivative of edible/non-edible plant oil extractions, in this review, biodiesel derived from non-vegetable oils e.g. animal fats/waste, leather industry waste, lipids from microalgae, insects, and waste rubber tires were explored as potential biodiesel feedstocks. In addition, waste materials as heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production, environmental and economic impacts were also highlighted. Noteworthily, the transesterification of these non-vegetable oil feedstock to biodiesel in the presence of waste materials as heterogeneous catalysts could afford up to 98% biodiesel production, and the catalyst can be recycled. The inherent ability to compensate for the quantity supply of biodiesel is the aim of every energy-producing nation in order to maximize economic development and minimize pollution in the environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Biodiesel
• renewable energy
• waste heterogeneous catalysts
• non-vegetable oils
• alternative fuel

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contribution

All the authors contributed equally to the writing, editing, reviewing, and approval of the final manuscript for publication.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Onome Ejeromedoghene

Onome Ejeromedoghene is a doctoral student specializing in inorganic/materials chemistry in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangning District, Nanjing, China.

Abiodun Oladipo

Abiodun Oladipo is a doctoral student specializing in forest sustainability at the Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

Charles Obinwanne Okoye

Charles Obinwanne Okoye is a doctoral student at Biofuels Institute, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China, and also a faculty member in the Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

Victor Enwemiwe

Victor Enwemiwe is a doctoral student and faculty member in the Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.

Ebube Victoria Anyaebosim

Ebube Victoria Anyaebosim is an undergraduate student Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi, China.

Muritala Olusola

Muritala Olusola is a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry, College of Physical Sciences, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Sheriff Adewuyi

Sheriff Adewuyi is a professor of inorganic and materials chemistry in the Department of Chemistry, College of Physical Sciences, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.