Waste polymers recycling in biodiesel as a strategy to simultaneously enhance fuel properties and recycle the waste: realistic simulation and economical assessment approach

ABSTRACT

Dissolution of waste polymers in biodiesel as a strategy to simultaneously enhance fuel properties and recycle these wastes has been investigated during the last decade. Herein two scenarios for transesterification-based biodiesel production plants including waste polymers dissolution with a focus on process economics were investigated. Mixture of Jatropha curcas oil and waste cooking oil (1:9) was considered as feedstock. After biodiesel purification, two types of waste polymers (5% wt. each low-density polyethylene and polystyrene) were dissolved into biodiesel to recycle their energy content in the fuel blend. Acetone was used to stabilize the final fuel blend. Two conceptual designs were simulated and the financial analyses were conducted using an Aspen Process Economic Analyzer (ICARUS). The results obtained revealed that although the first proposed route, including a methanol distillation tower for biodiesel production, had a higher conversion, the second scenario, in which the distillation tower was replaced by two flash drums, possessed more interesting economic features with higher profits and lower payout ratio. Heat integration and waste polymer dissolution were also found as two approaches for making the process more economically and environmental friendly.

KEYWORDS:

• Biodiesel production
• polymeric waste recycling
• plant simulation
• economic assessment

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam), Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII) and Iranian Biofuel Society (IBS) for financially supporting this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.