Tag Archives: Curiosidades

The process of converting vegetable oil into biodiesel fuel is called transesterification and is luckily less complex than it sounds. Chemically, transesterification means taking a triglyceride molecule, or a complex fatty acid, neutralizing the free fatty acids, removing the glycerin, and creating an alcohol ester. This is accomplished by mixing …

Overall biodiesel emissions are lower than gasoline or diesel fuel emissions (with the exception of NOx, which we discuss on the next page). Compared to diesel, biodiesel produces no sulfur, no net carbon dioxide, up to 20 times less carbon monoxide and more free oxygen. Biodiesel has the following emissions …

Biodiesel runs in any unmodified diesel engine. There is no “engine conversion” typical of other alternative fuels. The diesel engine can run on biodiesel because it operates on the principle of compression ignition whereby air is compressed and then fuel is sprayed into the ultra-hot, ultra-pressured combustion chamber. Unlike gasoline …

As embalagens biodegradáveis são uma das mais recentes alternativas que vêm despertando o interesse de pesquisadores brasileiros. As tradicionais embalagens de plásticos sintéticos, embora garantam a proteção desejada para diversos tipos de produtos, causam sérios problemas ao meio ambiente por não serem biodegradáveis. Na Unicamp, o assunto está sendo estudado …

1) Biodiesel runs in any conventional, unmodified diesel engine. No engine modifications are necessary to use biodiesel and there is no “engine conversion.” In other words, “you just pour it into the fuel tank.” 2) Biodiesel can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored. All diesel fueling infrastructure …

The Task Force concludes that biomass (fuel from forestry, crops and waste) could reduce the nation‘‘s carbon emissions by almost three million tonnes a year if used to provide heating. The carbon saving would be the equivalent of taking 3.25 million cars off the road. The Chairman of the Task …

Despite numerous calls from EU Member States, the European Parliament and a broad range of stakeholders, the European Commission has recently confirmed its decision to abandon the idea of an independent directive on biowaste. A group of interested parties had been lobbying for such a directive, maintaining that it would …

Recycling will be top of the Australian Government‘‘s agenda when Environment Ministers meet in Launceston this Wednesday for the Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting. Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, said Australia already led the world in recycling products like newsprint, but could do more …

Xylan is one of the most common carbohydrates in nature present in both hardwood and annual plants such as barley, rye, wheat and maize. Chalmers University of Technology reports that soon xylan will be able to replace aluminium and polymers in packing. Despite the fact that xylan exists in these …

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that an estimated one million pounds of household hazardous waste (HHW) has been collected in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. HHW typically consists of cleaning products found in most homes as well as lawn and garden products, pesticides …