Evaluation of life-cycle assessment of Jatropha biodiesel processed by esterification of Thai domestic rare earth oxide catalysts

Abstract

The Thai domestic rare earth oxides, including cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium oxides with an effect of calcination temperatures (500–1000 OC), were utilized as catalysts for twelve alternatives Jatropha biodiesel via esterification reaction. This study applied LCA methodology to analyse energy efficiency and global warming impact. The net energy ratios from well-to-wheel of conventional Jatropha biodiesel using the La2O3 catalyst in all condition (0.89−1.02) are found to be potential fuels for substituting conventional diesel (0.86). The global warming impact of the studied conventional Jatropha process from well-to-wheel are 107.8−162.5 kg CO2 equivalent/1000 MJ, which are greater than that of conventional diesel by 18–44%. The results of process energy and global warming analysis showed the strong consumption of electricity use in hydrolysis reactor for converting triglyceride (Jatropha oil) to fatty acid (oleic acid). The net energy ratio values and global warming impact reduction of Jatropha biodiesel utilizing the waste heat of oleic acid, compared to conventional Jatropha biodiesel are 0.82–1.37 and 33.77–36.36%, respectively. The total global warming impact of Jatropha biodiesel with waste heat recovery including land use change typical abundance land into Jatropha crop was 5–45%, which was lower than that of conventional diesel and 47– 58% reduction relative to conventional Jatropha biodiesel. Jatropha biodiesel using La2O3 catalyst with calcination temperature of 600 oC showed the most environmental friendly of all studied fuels with relatively highest energy ratios (1.17–1.37) with and without waste heat recovery and lowest total global warming impact (47.9–70.7) as well as with and without land use change. The integration of material and process development by domestic catalysts and recovery waste heat would improve the sustainability choices of biofuels production from renewable resources for transportation fuels in Thailand.