Scientists achieve major step forward in developing innovative diesel fuel alternative: 'This could really impact people'

University of California, Santa Cruz, researchers say they have improved the waste oil-to-biodiesel production process with a simple, circular method involving mild heat.

The work, described in a news release, is intended to make the alternative fuel source more appealing to industrial sectors. 

"I always wanted to work on biodiesel," doctoral student Kevin Lofgren, the study's lead author, said in the UC report. "I started exploring this new material that we made to see if it could attack the fats in oil to help catalyze biodiesel, and it all flowed from there."

About 27% of the country's energy consumption in 2022 went to "transporting goods and people," according to the federal Energy Information Administration. 

The UC report noted that transportation uses about 3 million barrels of diesel fuel a day, generating around 25% of heat-trapping carbon dioxide pollution from the sector. Exhaust from burning the fuel can cause human health risks as well as harm air and water quality. That's among a list of other environmental concerns, all per the Environmental Protection Agency and EIA. 

But biodiesel accounts for only about 6% of U.S. transportation propellant, a number the UC team wants to increase with its simpler process, as noted in the news release. 

"To make energy takes a lot of energy," said study co-author Scott Oliver, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry. "Our method uses waste oil and mild heating, compared to current petroleum refineries that are energy-consuming and pollution-causing.

"This could really impact people," he added.

The key is sodium tetramethoxyborate, an additive used to make the active ingredient in the process. The active substance reacts with the oil, allowing byproducts to simply be poured off the biodiesel during production. The byproduct can be reused to create the most expensive initial ingredient, making it circular work. What's more, the technique takes less than an hour at under 104 degrees, "saving time and money," all per the UC summary. 

The experts also tout less environmental collateral damage — like deforestation for palm tree plantations — needed to produce other oils commonly used for biodiesel.  

While the U.S. Energy Department promotes biodiesel as a cleaner-burning fuel that "improves public health and the environment," it's not without critics. The EIA said that it can spew more nitrogen oxides than standard fuels. The fumes can irritate human respiratory systems, per the EPA. 

Efforts elsewhere are being developed to make biofuel from coconuts and algae. The latter option is promising because it doesn't require land for crops. The U.S. government, under the Biden administration, has also heavily invested in biofuels. The allocation includes a $15 million facility in Idaho to study production. 

At UC Santa Cruz, the team said that its method turns 85% of used vegetable oil into a biodiesel that meets "almost all" industry standards for use in vehicles. Experts need to beef up water content and expect to hit the H2O mark as the system is scaled. 

"This new method is special because it is simple and affordable. It has the bonus of being able to regenerate the starting material," Lofgren said in the summary. 

There are also ways to clean up transportation without oil, coconuts, or algae. Simply walking instead of driving for two miles each day can cut about 600 pounds of air pollution a year. It's also great for your health, as noted by Harvard Medical School.

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