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<p>Biofuels are a developing kind of fuel whose origin is biomass. Among them, many different kind of fuels can be found: bioethanol, biobutanol, biodiesel, vegetable oils, biomethanol, pyrolysis oils, biogas, and biohydrogen. This thesis work is focused on the production of biodiesel, which can be used in diesel engines as a substitute for mineral diesel. Biodiesel is obtained from different kinds of oils, both from vegetable and animal sources. However, vegetable oils are preferred because they tend to be liquid at room temperature.</p><p>The process to obtain biodiesel implies first a reaction between the oil and an alcohol, using a catalyst and then a sedimentation, where the biodiesel and the glycerol, the two products that are obtained, can be separated because of their difference in density. After the separation, raw biodiesel is obtained and a treatment with either water bubbling or dry cleaning products is needed to obtain the product which will be ready to use.</p><p>Many methods are available for the production of biodiesel, most of them require heat for the transesterification reaction, which converts the oil into biodiesel. Apart from that, in many cases biodiesel is produced by big companies or by individuals but using complicated and expensive installations.</p><p>This work is an attempt to develop a way of producing biodiesel without any use of external heat, using a simple procedure which could be used by people with a low knowledge of chemistry or chemical processes. It also seeks to set an example on how biodiesel can be easily made by oneself without the use of any industrial systems, with a low budget and limited need of supervision over the process.</p><p>In order to achieve that, many trials were undertaken, introducing changes in the different parameters that are responsible for the changes in the final product. Among them, changes in the amount and type of catalyst, the way the catalyst is added, the type of oil used, the time of reaction and the temperature were made. Apart from that, different types of cleaning were tried, starting by water cleaning and then using powder type products, Magnesol, D-Sol and Aerogel. A centrifuge was also tried to test its utility when separating impurities from liquids or different liquid phases. The results of the different trials were analysed using various tests, the most important being the 3:27 test, the solubility test, the soap titration and pH measurements.</p><p>To sum up, it could be said that the investigation was a success, since it was proved that biodiesel can be made without the use of any external heat with both alkali and acid catalysts, as well as with different ways of adding the catalyst. As for the cleaning, good results were obtained with both dry products and water cleaning, since the soap content of the biodiesel was reduced in both cases. Apart from that, the centrifuge proved to be valid to eliminate impurities from raw oil.</p>

Biofuels are a developing kind of fuel whose origin is biomass. Among them, many different kind of fuels can be found: bioethanol, biobutanol, biodiesel, vegetable oils, biomethanol, pyrolysis oils, biogas, and biohydrogen. This thesis work is focused on the production of biodiesel, which can be used in diesel engines as a substitute for mineral diesel. Biodiesel is obtained from different kinds of oils, both from vegetable and animal sources. However, vegetable oils are preferred because they tend to be liquid at room temperature. The process to obtain biodiesel implies first a reaction between the oil and an alcohol, using a catalyst and then a sedimentation, where the biodiesel and the glycerol, the two products that are obtained, can be separated because of their difference in density. After the separation, raw biodiesel is obtained and a treatment with either water bubbling or dry cleaning products is needed to obtain the product which will be ready to use. Many methods are available for the production of biodiesel, most of them require heat for the transesterification reaction, which converts the oil into biodiesel. Apart from that, in many cases biodiesel is produced by big companies or by individuals but using complicated and expensive installations. This work is an attempt to develop a way of producing biodiesel without any use of external heat, using a simple procedure which could be used by people with a low knowledge of chemistry or chemical processes. It also seeks to set an example on how biodiesel can be easily made by oneself without the use of any industrial systems, with a low budget and limited need of supervision over the process. In order to achieve that, many trials were undertaken, introducing changes in the different parameters that are responsible for the changes in the final product. Among them, changes in the amount and type of catalyst, the way the catalyst is added, the type of oil used, the time of reaction and the temperature were made. Apart from that, different types of cleaning were tried, starting by water cleaning and then using powder type products, Magnesol, D-Sol and Aerogel. A centrifuge was also tried to test its utility when separating impurities from liquids or different liquid phases. The results of the different trials were analysed using various tests, the most important being the 3:27 test, the solubility test, the soap titration and pH measurements. To sum up, it could be said that the investigation was a success, since it was proved that biodiesel can be made without the use of any external heat with both alkali and acid catalysts, as well as with different ways of adding the catalyst. As for the cleaning, good results were obtained with both dry products and water cleaning, since the soap content of the biodiesel was reduced in both cases. Apart from that, the centrifuge proved to be valid to eliminate impurities from raw oil.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Richard P. Wool, Dept. of Chemical Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

1. <i>Cis</i> unsaturated fatty acids were shown to inhibit porcine platelet aggregation in response to both collagen and thrombin. Fatty acids with a <i>trans</i> double bond had an anti-aggregatory effect on collagen-induced aggregation but this was significantly less than that observed with the <i>cis</i> equivalent and was diminished as the dose of agonist increased. Thrombin-induced platelet aggregation was unchanged or slightly potentiated by <i>trans</i> isomers. 2. Both the <i>cis</i> and <i>trans</i> isomeric acids inhibited collagen-induced TXB₂ production. The <i>trans</i> unsaturated fatty acids also inhibited TXB₂ production in response to thrombin, even though they did not inhibit thrombin induced platelet aggregation. 3. Unlike arachidonic acid, the <i>cis</i> and <i>trans</i> mono-unsaturated fatty acids were not rapidly incorporated into membrane phospholipids but modified platelet aggregation whilst in the free acid form. 4. Pre-incubation of platelets with either <i>cis</i> or <i>trans</i> delta 13, 18:1, selectivity inhibited the incorporation of radio-labelled arachidonic acid into membrane PS. 5. <i>Cis</i> and <i>trans</i> unsaturated delta 13, 18:1, inhibited the initial turnover of membrane PI in response to thrombin possibly by an inhibitory effect on PI-specific phospholipase C. After 5 minutes, however, the level of arachidonic acid released from both PI and PE was increased in the presence of the isomeric fatty acids. This may have been via a potentiation of the action of phospholipase A₂. 6. An increased release of arachidonic acid could result in the inhibition of aggregation if metabolised via the 12-lipoxygenase pathway, as the end products of this sytem have direct anti-aggregatory activity and inhibit the cyclo-oxygenase enzymes thus reducing TXA₂ synthesis. 7. <i>Cis</i> unsaturated fatty acids, which produce a greater level of membrane disruption than the <i>trans</i>, may lead to more efficient channelling of the released arachidonic acid in the direction of the lipoxygenase pathway, and thereby produce a greater inhibition of aggregation. The possibility remains that the <i>cis</i> isomers have another, as yet unidentified mechanism by which they inhibit platelet aggregation.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography.

Graduation date: 1997

Biobased Thermosets from Vegetable Oils. Synthesis, Characterization, and PropertiesGerard Lligadas PuigEl desenvolupament sostenible va esdevenir com una de les idees claus del segle 20. S'entén per desenvolupament sostenible aquell tipus de desenvolupament que és capaç de satisfer les necessitats actuals sense comprometre els recursos i possibilitats de les futures generacions. Per assolir un desenvolupament sostenible és necessari promoure un desenvolupament social i econòmic pendent en tot moment del medi ambient. La conservació i la gestió dels residus és especialment important en aquest procés. La creixent demanda de productes derivats del petroli, juntament amb la disminució progressiva de les reserves de petroli són algunes de les moltes raons que han encoratjat la industria química a començar a utilitzar les fonts renovables com a matèria prima.En aquest context, en els darrers anys l'atenció s'ha centrat en la utilització de recursos anualment renovables, com són els recursos agrícoles, en la producció d'una gran varietat de productes industrials. Un dels recursos renovables més interessants per a la indústria química són els olis vegetals degut a la seva elevada disponibilitat i el seu ampli ventall d'aplicacions. Els olis vegetals formen part de la família de compostos químics coneguts com lípids, i estan constituïts majoritàriament per molècules de triglicèrids. Els triglicèrids estan formats per tres molècules d'àcid gras unides a una molècula de glicerol mitjançant enllaços ester. Els àcids grassos que es troben en la majoria d'olis vegetals estan constituïts per cadenes alifàtiques insaturades de entre 14 i 22 àtoms de carboni.La explotació industrial dels recursos naturals està actualment en el punt de mira de la comunitat científica. Concretament, el desenvolupament de materials polimèrics derivats de fonts renovables està rebent un interès creixent degut a la incertesa en el preu i les reserves de petroli. La substitució del petroli per productes derivats de fonts renovables és consistent amb el concepte de desenvolupament sostenible. El propòsit del treball portat a terme en aquesta tesi doctoral va ser desenvolupar nous materials termoestables utilitzant olis vegetals com a productes de partida. En el capítol 1 es discuteix la contribució de la química en el desenvolupament sostenible i es descriuen les possibilitats dels olis vegetals com a productes de partida en la síntesi de materials polimèrics. El capítol 2 descriu la preparació de dos noves famílies de materials híbrids orgànics-inorgànics derivats d'olis vegetals. Es descriu síntesi i caracterització de polímers híbrids derivats d'àcids grassos que contenen dobles enllaços carboni-carboni terminals utilitzant la reacció d'hidrosililació com a reacció d'entrecreuament, i la preparació de polímers derivats d'oli de llinosa epoxidat nanoreforçats amb silsesquioxans polièdrics. En el capítol 3 es descriu la síntesi d'un nou compost fosforat derivat de fonts renovables. Aquest compost s'ha utilitzat com a compost retardant a la flama reactiu en la preparació de resines epoxi derivades de fonts renovables amb propietats de resistència a la flama. La incorporació de fòsfor en resines epoxi d'aquest tipus ha donat lloc a polímers amb bones propietats de resistència a la flama. Finalment, en el capítol 4 es descriu la preparació d'una nova família de polièter poliols derivats d'oleat de metil epoxidat com a font renovable. Aquests poliols s'han utilitzat en la síntesi de poliuretans amb aplicacions específiques: poliuretans que incorporen silici amb propietats de resistència a la flama, i poliuretans segmentats amb aplicacions en biomedicina.Biobased Thermosets from Vegetable Oils. Synthesis, Characterization, and PropertiesGerard Lligadas PuigSustainable development, which became a key idea during the 20th century, may be regarded as the progressive and balanced achievement of sustained economic development, and improved social equity and environmental quality. Sustainable development comprises the three components of society, environment, and economy, and its goals can only be achieved if all three components can be satisfied simultaneously.The conservation and management of resources is especially important to this process. The growing demand for petroleum-based products and the resulting negative impact on the environment, plus the scarcity of non-renewable resources, are some of the many factors that have encouraged the chemical industry to begin using renewable resources as raw materials.This situation has led to considerable attention being focused recently on the use of annually renewable agricultural feedstock to produce a wide range of base chemicals and other industrial products. The renewable raw materials that are most important to the chemical industry are natural oils and fats because of their high availability and versatile applications. Vegetable oils constitute about 80% of the global oil and fat production, with 20% (and declining) being of animal origin. The use of these materials offers an alternative approach that is both sustainable and, with the right application, far more environmentally benign than fossil sources.Vegetable oils and fats form part of a large family of chemical compounds known as lipids. Vegetable oils are predominantly made up of triglyceride molecules, which have the three-armed star structure. Triglycerides comprise of three fatty acids joined at a glycerol junction. Most of the common oils contain fatty acids that vary from 14 to 22 carbons in length, with 0 to 3 double bonds per fatty acid.Research into the industrial exploitation of products derived from renewable resources is currently of immense international importance. In particular, the development of polymer materials from renewable resources is receiving considerable attention since the availability of crude oil will become severely restricted within the foreseeable future. The replacement of crude oil by renewable raw materials is also consistent with the aim of global sustainability.The purpose of the study reported in this thesis was to develop new biobased thermosetting polymers from vegetable oils as renewable resources. To achieve this goal, the experimental work focused on exploiting the reactivity of unsaturated fatty compounds. Chapter 1 discusses the contribution of chemistry to sustainable development, and also presents an overview of recent developments in the chemistry of vegetable oil-based polymers. Chapter 2 describes the preparation of two new types of organic-inorganic hybrid materials from vegetable oils. Hybrids with promising properties for optical applications were prepared by the hydrosilylation of alkenyl-terminated fatty acid derivatives with several hydrosilylating agents, and the first example of the preparation of biobased polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes-nanocomposites from vegetable oil derivatives is reported. Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of a new phosphorus-containing fatty acid derivative. This compound is used as a reactive flame-retardant in the preparation of flame-retardant epoxy resins from terminal epoxy fatty acid derivatives. The incorporation of phosphorous into biobased epoxy resins yields polymers with good flame-retardant properties. Finally, chapter 4 describes the preparation of a new family of epoxidized methyl oleate based polyether polyols. These polyols are used in the synthesis of polyurethanes, some with specific applications: silicon-containing polyurethanes with enhanced flame-retardant properties, and polyurethane networks with potential applications in biomedicine.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Technology: Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / Eremothecium gossypii has the ability to utilize vegetable oils as a carbon source to produce riboflavin. This organism has been known to produce as much as 40 000 times more riboflavin than it requires after genetic modification on simple sugars. Adaptation of this organism to various oil substrates for riboflavin production has been poorly investigated. The aim of this research was thus to investigate the production of riboflavin by Eremothecium gossypii, on various oils and to improve production by mutating the organism and optimising media components using Design of Experiments (DOE). Nine overproducing mutants were obtained after mutating with various concentrations of ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS), n-methyl-n‟-nitro-n-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and Ultraviolet light. Riboflavin overproducing mutants were screened on an itaconate-containing medium; the colonies appeared yellow instead of white in the case of the wild-type. The itaconate screening medium isolated mutants with an isocitrate lyase that was insensitive to feedback inhibition. Mutations performed using EMS increased the ability of E. gossypii to produce riboflavin by 611% (7-fold) compared to the wild-type. This was achieved with soybean oil as a carbon source and was better than the other five oils used. Using DOE, fractional factorial experiments were carried out to optimise media components for riboflavin production on soybean oil. The total riboflavin produced by E. gossypii mutant EMS30/1 increased from 59.30 mg l-1 on a standard O&K medium using soybean oil as a carbon source to 100.03 mg l-1 on a DOE improved O&K medium, a 69% increase. The final optimised growth medium was determined from a central composite design using response surface plots together with a mathematical point-prediction tool and consisted of 5.0 g l-1 peptone, 5.0 g l-1 malt extract, 5.1 g l-1 yeast extract, 0.64 g l-1 K2HPO4, 0.6 g l-1 MgSO4 and 20 g l-1 soybean oil. Fractional factorial and central composite media optimization designs increased riboflavin production by several fold over their iterations. There was an overall increase of 1099% (12-fold) in riboflavin production by the mutant grown in an optimized medium compared to the initial riboflavin produced by the wild-type.

The work presented in this thesis examined the effects of dietary fish oil replacement on fish innate and adaptive immune function, disease resistance tissue histopathology and fatty acid composition of lipids in peripheral blood leukocytes. Dietary trials with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) were conducted in which fish oil was replaced by rapeseed oil, linseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, echium oil or a mixture of these oils. A significant reduction in respiratory burst activity was most pronounced in salmon and sea bass fed high levels of rapeseed oil-containing diets. In addition, rapeseed and olive oil inclusion in the diets of salmon and sea bass significantly reduced the head kidney macrophage phagocytic capacity to engulf yeast particles. A reduction in prostaglandin E2 levels was found to be related to a reduction in macrophage respiratory burst activity in salmon fed linseed oil diets and sea bass fed a dietary blend of linseed, palm and rapeseed oils. Changes in macrophage function may be a contributing factor causing a reduction in serum lysozyme activity observed in some trials. No significant differences were detected in cumulative mortality of Atlantic salmon fed an equal blend of linseed and rapeseed oils challenged with Aeromonas salmonicida. However, resistance to Vibrio anguillarium was significantly impaired in Atlantic salmon fed a blended oil diet containing linseed, rapeseed and palm oil. The major histological difference of fish fed vegetable oil diets was the accumulation of lipid droplets in their livers. Dietary fatty acid composition significantly affected the fatty acid composition of peripheral blood leukocytes. Generally, fish fed vegetable oil diets had increased levels of oleic acid, linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid and decreased levels of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and a lower n-3/n-6 ratio than fish fed a FO diet. In conclusion, the results from these studies suggest that farmed fish species can be cultured on diets containing vegetable oils as the added oil source. However, feeding high levels of some vegetable oils may significantly alter some immune responses in the fish, especially head kidney macrophage function, disease resistance and, in addition, may cause an increase in tissue histopathology.