Electrospun Nanomembrane-Assisted Transesterification for Biodiesel Production

The study examines how well a nanomembrane reactor functions in the base catalyst transesterification process to produce biodiesel with rapeseed oil as the feedstock. The fabrication of a porous electrospun nanomembrane was achieved through the utilization of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride with tetrafluoroethylene. The polymeric membrane’s structure allowed it to passively filter the crude biodiesel produced while retaining the glycerol and byproducts. With the maximum fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) content of about 99% and high reproducibility, the ideal transesterification conditions were found at 65 °C and a 4:1 methanol/oil weight ratio for 65 min. The FAME produced satisfied the key requirements of EN 14214. After four preparation cycles, there was no glycerol in the product stream, indicating that the nanomembrane could hold the glycerol in the reaction medium.