Biodiesel Science and Technology: From Soil to Oil

Biodiesel production is rapidly advancing worldwide, with biodiesel fuel increasingly being used in compression ignition (diesel) engines. Biodiesel has been extensively studied and utilised in developed countries, and it is being introduced in developing countries, especially in regions with high potential for sustainable biodiesel production.

Biodiesel science and technology: From soil to oil provides a comprehensive and timely reference on the entire biodiesel production chain, detailing the range and development of biodiesel feedstocks such as non-edible crops that avoid food/fuel concerns, as well as state-of-the-art biodiesel production technology and opportunities for broader production and utilisation.

Initial sections systematically review feedstock resources and vegetable oil formulations, including the economics of vegetable oil conversion to diesel fuel, with additional coverage of emerging energy crops for biodiesel production. Further sections review the transesterification process, including chemical (catalysis) and biochemical (biocatalysis) processes, with extended coverage of industrial process technology and control methods, and standards for biodiesel fuel quality assurance. Final chapters cover the sustainability, performance and environmental issues of biodiesel production, as well as routes to improve glycerol by-product usage and the development of next-generation products.

Biodiesel science and technology: From soil to oil provides a comprehensive reference for fuel engineers, researchers and academics on the technological developments involved in improving biodiesel quality and production capacity that are crucial to the future of the industry.

Jan C. J. Bart is a Full Professor of Industrial Chemistry and Stefano Cavallaro is an Associate Professor of Industrial Chemistry at the University of Messina, Italy. Natale Palmeri is a technologist at ISAB's Priolo refinery, Sicily, Italy. The authors are noted for their research in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis and industrial chemistry.