This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Un español y un filipino innovan en la producción de biodiésel gracias a la red ResearchGate

Thanks to his communication in this social network 2.0 for scientists, both have developed a new form of production of biodiésel from waste

A Spanish and a philippine innovan in the production of biodiésel thanks to the network ResearchGate

Source: SINC11/10/2012

Rafael Luque, researcher in the University of Córdoba, and Rick Arneil Arancon, graduated university in Philippines, have developed jointly a new form of production of biodiésel cleaner and cheap. The system obtains fuel of high quality from vegetal oils of fritura residual, using like catalyst a material carbonoso pertinent of wastes of mazorcas of corn. All this, thanks to the communication that established in the social network for scientists ResearchGate.

Such as they explain to SINC, if it had not existed ResearchGate, Rafael Luque, professor of inorganic chemicals of the University of Córdoba and Rick Arneil Aracon, graduated of the University Xavier, in Cagallan of Gold (Philippines), hardly would have known . But thanks to the communication that established in this social network 2.0 for scientists, both have developed a new form of production of biodiésel cleaner and cheap from waste.

Arancon Was in 2010 doing his work of máster of end career when it contacted in ResearchGate with Luque, an expert in catálisis of biofuel, in nanomaterials and nanopartículas supported. “He was doing a project on biodiésel and at the beginning only collaborated sending him bibliography and supervision, afterwards, orientation on how focus the project. And, finally, it sent me his samples from Philippines so that I did the proofs and characterised them in the laboratory of my university”, explains Luque to SINC. The results of the conjoint work have published in the magazine Green Chemicals.

According to Luque, the process that have established for the obtaining of biodiésel bases in the catálisis heterogeneous. “We have attained a transesterificación (of triglycerides) and esterification (of acids grasos) simultanea for the production of esters metílicos of acids grasos (biodiésel), attaining a cleaner biofuel and from oils of fritura residual. Besides, the material carbonoso used like catalyst is derived of the mazorcas of corn, another alimentary residue very extended in Philippines”.

Advantages with regard to conventional procedures

Rafael Luque explains that the catálisis that have developed possess numerous advantages regarding the conventional procedures that use soda or potasa like catalyst homogéneo, especially when they use oils of waste with high content in acids grasos (10%). “The conventional procedure gives place to the learning of soaps and emulsions with said waste oleaginosos, whereas with our procedure attains a transesterificación and simultaneous esterification, avoiding processes engorrosos of separation and purification of the biodiésel obtained”, explains.

Besides, signals, the catalyst is recoverable and reusable in the process. “It treats of a cheap and compatible material with the environingingment when being derived of the biomass and have seen that it also could have other applications like chromatography and even in adsorption to trap CO2.

“Is one of the most respected experts in biofuels in Europe; without the means of his laboratory never would have been able to carry my idea to the practice”.

The system uses like catalyst a material carbonoso pertinent of wastes of mazorcas of corn. Image: Otubo.

Rick Arneil Arancon signals to SINC that the collaboration established with the Spanish researcher through ReseachGate has been fundamental in his work. “It is one of the most respected experts in the field of the biofuels in Spain and in Europe. In addition to guiding me in all the process, he has done all the characterisation of materials of my project and I have commissioned me of the synthesis. Without the means of his laboratory, never would have known if my idea would have been able to carry to the practice”.

Arancon Is now working in improving the process of catálisis and, if all goes well, next year will do his doctorate with Luque in the University of Córdoba.

In opinion of Rafael Luque, ResearchGate is a very powerful platform to boost the collaboration between scientists. Luque resalta The opportunities that open thanks to this network for researchers that live in disadvantaged countries when can establish collaborations with researchers that have more half.

Luque Is collaborating now with another young philippine researcher that is doing a project to obtain biodiésel from crops of a type of seaweed called espirulina. His meeting point also has been ResearchGate.

A network in constant growth

Four years ago, Ijad Madisch (Wolfsburg, Germany, 1980) created beside other two young doctors ResearchGate, a network 2.0 for researchers. Today it has already 1,7 million pertinent users of almost 200 countries and grows to a rhythm from among 4.000 and 5.000 users each month. The Spanish community of the network has in actuality 32.500 pertinent members of several universities, centres and institutes of investigation. Besides, they have more than 120.000 users hispanoparlantes of countries like Mexico, Colombia and Argentina.

bibliographic Reference:

Rick Arneil Arancon; Higinio R. Muds Jr; Alina M. Balu, ; Carolina Vargas; Rafael Luque “Valorisation of corncob residues to functionalised porous carbonaceous materials for the simultaneous esterification/transesterification of waste oils”. 30 August 2011. Green Chemicals. DOI: 10.1039/c1gc15908to