In this post we continue our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. This week’s two feedstocks are Castor Oil and Choice White Grease. For more information and more feedstocks this is the main page of the feedstocks we have examined so far.

Castor Oil

Castor oil comes from Ricinus communis, known commonly as the castor bean plant. While the castor bean is not a real bean, it is called this due to the shape of the seeds.  These seeds consist of about 45-50% oil. Ricinus communis is a fast-growing shrub type plant that can reach the size of a small tree. This perennial flowering plant is native to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa, and India, but grows easily throughout tropical regions. It is not a cold hardy plant, although in a suitable environment it can become invasive.  Castor bean plants are grown as ornamental plants throughout the world and are used extensively as a decorative plant in parks and public areas. The castor bean plan will grow rapidly in a single season, about 6-10’ tall. Ornamentally, it is most valued for its huge, palmately (having four or more lobes or leaflets radiating from a single point) 5-11 pointed lobes, toothed, glossy green leaves (each to 1-3’ across) and round, spikey, reddish-brown seed capsules. Small cup-shaped, greenish-yellow apetalous (lacking flower petals) spikes which are not particularly showy. Different cultivations of the plant result in dwarf and large plants, some with attractive reddish, bronze or purple leaves and bright and colorful flowers.

An additional benefit of this source of oil is that it doesn’t impact the food supply. The entire plant is poisonous, but has some reported medicinal uses. Other uses of the plant include being used as an insecticide against some ticks and food for silkworms. Castor oil has been used as a lubricant in engines for years, because of the high heat resistance it has historically been used in two-stroke engines.

Choice White Grease

The US Department of Agriculture defines Choice White Grease (CWG) as “A specific grade of mostly pork fat defined by hardness, color, fatty acid content, moisture, insolubles, unsaponifiables and free fatty acids.”

CWG is similar to beef tallow that we discussed in a previous week. It is an animal by-product, meaning that they are only produced in relation of raising the animal for meat or food production. As we can see from the picture it is a saturated fat and is at least partially solid at room temperature. This means that the resulting B100 biodiesel will have a higher cloud point.  CWG has historically been used as livestock feed. Additionally, using CWG for biodiesel gives pork producers an additional revenue and outlet for the product, helping elevate the return on investment for these farmers.

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was Algae Oil and Canola Oil.

This post’s two oils are Algal Oil and Canola Oil.  If you would like to look ahead at some of the other feedstocks that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied, or if you would like to look a little more in-depth at the comparisons here is the link to the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report.   This is the main page of feedstocks we have looked at so far, and last weeks look at Borage Oil & Camelina Oil is here.  B20 Biodiesel (B20 stands for 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel)  is the drop in solution for reduced emissions in today’s modern diesel engines.  To understand what some of the alternate feedstocks that can be used for biodiesel, we are examining a report that Renewable Energy Group (REG) produced in 2009. All certificates of analysis and results are for B100.

Algal Oil

Algal Oil has a huge potential to be the next source of Biofuel feedstock. Among the many benefits is that algae can be grown in any environment that can contain water, and algae doesn’t carry the negative stigma of using a potential source of food to create a fuel.  In addition, you could use algae to clean up waste water and then use the fats to create the biodiesel. A recent study here is working on that concept. The U.S. Department of Energy has recently invested $2 million dollars into University of Michigan for research into algae as a diesel fuel. (see story here) The goal is to find high yield algae that produce a high grade bio crude for renewable diesel or biodiesel. Here is the YouTube video about the research.

The two diverse samples of crude algal oil, that were used in the report from 2009, were obtained from Solazyme, Inc.  This Company works with algae to produce renewable oils and ingredients for industries. The report doesn’t go into what kinds of algae was used or the process that they used to convert the algae to oil.

Canola Oil

Canola is the seed of the species Brassica napus or Brassica campestris. Brassica Napus is also known as rape or rapeseed.  The name rape is derived from the Latin word for turnip, rapum.  Brassicaceae is the family of which mustard, cauliflower and cabbage belong.  The name Canola comes from the contraction of Canada and ola, meaning oil.  Developed in 1970s by researchers from the University of Manitoba and Agri-Food Canada, the use of the term Canola means that the oilseed meets certain standards.  The Official Definition of Canola is:

“Seeds of the genus Brassica (Brassica napus, Brassica rapa or Brassica juncea) from which the oil shall contain less than 2% erucic acid in its fatty acid profile and the solid component shall contain less than 30 micromoles of any one or any mixture of 3-butenyl glucosinolate, 4-pentenyl glucosinolate, 2-hydroxy-3 butenyl glucosinolate, and 2-hydroxy- 4-pentenyl glucosinolate per gram of air-dry, oil-free solid.”

Government regulation requires Canola oil to to be limited to a maximum of 2% erucic acid these particular samples contains less than two percent erucic acid and the solid component contains less than 30 micromoles per gram of glucosinolates.

According to Reuters, “Rapeseed is the most produced oilseed in the EU.” This trend is gradually shifting to soya beans this article continues to explain. Currently 60 percent of the vegetable oil used in biodiesel comes from rapeseed oil in the EU.

This post continues our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report.  Different feedstocks give the resulting B100 biodiesel different characteristics.   This week’s two oils are Borage Oil and Camelina Oil.  If you would like to learn more about some of the other feedstocks please visit the main page of feedstocks we have looked at so far.

Borage Oil

Borage oil comes from the plant, Borago officinalis, also known as starflower. The starflower is easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to light shade. In addition this plant tolerates poor soils and drought. It is native to Mediterranean region and is an annual that will continue to propagate itself in a garden by reseeding. The plant grows to 2 to 3 feet tall and the flowers are commonly blue, although pink and white flowers are commonly cultivated.  The flowering season is relatively long from June to September and in milder climates the starflower will bloom for most of the year.

The leaves are edible and the plant is commercially cultivated for its oil.  As a fresh vegetable it is said to have a cucumber-like taste and the flowers have a sweet taste.  It has the highest value of γ-linolenic acid in any readily available specialty oil.

Camelina Oil

Camelina oil comes from the plant, Camelina sativa, a member of the mustard family and a distant relative to canola. It is an annual flowering plant that grows well in temperate climates and it also has the common names of gold-of-pleasure and false flax. This flowering plant is native to Europe and Central Asian areas. Camelina plants grow from 1 to 3 feet tall, are heavily branched and produce seed pods with many small, oily seeds. Some varieties of camelina contain 38-40 % oil. Camelina can be grown in arid conditions and does not require significant amounts of fertilizer.

According to science direct:

“Camelina is adaptable to many different environmental conditions… Camelina an ideal crop for use on less productive lands and in areas without sufficient rainfall to support other crops. When produced under these circumstances, Camelina would not be displacing crops used for food production and positively addresses the food for fuel debate that often plagues the use of crop oils for fuel production.”

Camelina only requires a short growing season and they are fast growing. In 2009, the Navy purchased 40,000 gallons of jet fuel derived from camelina.

The oil is high in omega-3 fatty acid. This makes the oil great for biofuels and the resulting leftover meal a good option for livestock feed. Other uses for this plant consist of the oils being used in cosmetics, burnt in lamps, and herbal medicine. The seeds are edible and can be eaten raw in salads or mixed with water to create an egg substitute.

Next weeks biodiesel feedstocks are Algae Oil and Canola Oil.