Biodiesel

To drive down the cost of biodiesel, researchers have developed an eco-friendly way of extracting triacetin, a combustion-enhancing additive, from an abundant waste source, cigarette butts, both reducing waste and providing a sustainable use for it.

Although they have a number of potential uses, spent coffee grounds typically just end up in landfills – or at best, in compost heaps. According to a new study, however, they could soon be utilized to both support and feed biodiesel-producing algae.

Scientists at Australia’s RMIT have developed a tiny sponge with big potential, and say the micron-sized material can be used to convert discarded cooking oil into biodiesel in a very cost-effective manner. And this catalyst is no one-trick pony.

​The perks of a cup of coffee don’t have to end when the grounds are dumped in the trash. Now a London-based company has partnered with Shell to turn the leftovers from this human go-juice into biofuel to help run the English capital’s expansive bus network.

London-based company, Bio-bean, hopes to turn left-over coffee grounds into biodiesel for vehicles and biomass pellets to heat buildings.

Almost a year ago, Boeing announced that it was looking into running airliners on a mixture of jet fuel and "green diesel." Now, the corporation followed through on that plan, flying its ecoDemonstrator 787 flight test airplane on the fuel blend.

Researchers have built an all-in-one Biofuel Micro Trigeneration (BMT) prototype system for small dwellings that provides cooling, heating, and electrical power using only unprocessed plant oils, with the potential for up-scaling for larger commercial and industrial applications.

In a process they say produces more energy than it used, researchers from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) at the University of Illinois have converted plastic bags into various petroleum products, including diesel, natural gas, naphtha, gasoline, waxes, and lubricating oils.

By now, most people have at least a passing knowledge of biodiesel. While it's a good choice for people with diesel-powered vehicles, those of us with gas-burning cars haven't been able to get in on the action ... although that may be about to change.

With dwindling non-renewable fuel sources creating an enormous energy challenge, the search is on to develop sustainable, renewable types of energy. Promisingly, new findings suggest that small organisms found in wastewater treatment lagoons could be used as biofuel feedstock.

Over the past few years, we've heard about "green" airliners running on a mixture of jet fuel and biofuels made from things like plants and recycled cooking oil. Now, Boeing is looking at blending jet fuel with green diesel, which is already used to fuel trucks.

The BioBot 20 tabletop diesel processor is a (relatively) simple chemical reactor for converting used kitchen oils into biodiesel fuel at home.