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EPA Grant Number: SU833524
Title: A Novel Reactor Design for Efficient Production of Biodiesel from High Free-Fatty-Acid Oils
Drexel University students will design, study, and build a reactor that produces biodiesel more efficiently. Currently, production of biodiesel from waste oil and grease is hindered when the free fatty acids in the waste combine with the lye added during production to form soap. This project is redesigning the process for producing biodiesel from waste oil to use bubbling alcohol vapors and acid catalysts that avoid soap formation so that biodiesel can be produced more efficiently.