Filed under: Biodiesel, Emerging Technologies
All parts of a pig: Greener biodiesel with the help of "sus scrofa domestica"
My grandfather once said "You can use everything from a pig (Lat. sus scrofa domestica)" and he seems to be right. A southern Spanish company called Seneca Green Catalyst has unvelied a new method to produce biodiesel using new enzyme-based catalysers obtained from swine's pancreatic lipase. Lurking at this online definition, lipases are "water-soluble enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of ester bonds in water-insoluble lipid substrates." That is, like soap with greasy pots. Since it's an organic product the pollution that results from the process is much lower than with current methods and doesn't require alkaline hydroxides and strong acids. They also claim that the whole process saves water and energy because no methanol is needed, any alcohol can be used.
The project, labelled as "green chemistry" and sponsored by the Universidad de Córdoba, is waiting for some subventions to start production next year at a 6000 liters/day.
Related: [Source: Agencia EFE via Metro]
