Project Number: 1935-41000-066-05
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Oct 15, 2007
End Date: Oct 14, 2009

Objective:
Generally, to expand the use of animal fats, vegetable oils and their coproducts by developing new and/or alternative processes to exploit the potential of these feedstocks as biobased products and biofuels. Specifically, to develop, demonstrate and implement a technological route for the production of biodiesel from trap grease, a waste product of the food industry, produced from animal fats and vegetable oils.

Approach:
Generally, develop technologies to improve the economics of biodiesel from low-cost, agriculturally-derived lipid feedstocks using conventional alkali-catalyzed transesterification or alternative methods. Specifically, design, implement, troubleshoot, and operate at pilot and small production scale, a method to dewater and convert to fatty acid methyl esters the triglyceride and free fatty acid species found in trap grease from multiple sources. Design and implement qualitative and quantitative analytical methods to determine the composition of trap grease and biodiesel produced from it.