• Energy Research

AbstractBACKGROUNDIncreased water demand caused by population growth has forced the reuse of wastewater after treatment. Safflower is a salt‐tolerant plant that can be irrigated with moderately saline water. Cultivation of safflower plant can be achieved by irrigation with membrane bioreactor (MBR)‐treated wastewater and further utilized in oil and then biodiesel production according to standard (TS EN 14214). Irrigation water quality can impact oil and biodiesel yield and content.RESULTSIn this study, safflower plants were cultivated using different irrigation strategies in a field next to a wastewater treatment plant in Menderes‐Izmir, Turkey. These strategies were: irrigation weekly with MBR‐treated wastewater or with tap water; with MBR‐treated wastewater just three times during phenological periods; and without irrigation. Oil yields for seeds of the plants irrigated by these strategies were 103.8, 98.7, 63.7 and 57.4 (kg oil daa−1), respectively. Oil yield was found to be highest following weekly irrigation with MBR‐treated wastewater that has a high salinity of 4 mS cm−1. Safflower oil methyl ester (SOME) contents of biodiesel were 94.6 and 94.5% (g SOME:g biodiesel), and ester yields of biodiesel were 71.3 and 81.4% (g biodiesel:g oil–1) for safflower irrigated weekly with MBR‐treated wastewater and tap water, respectively.CONCLUSIONIt is concluded that SOME yields and contents of safflowers irrigated with MBR‐treated wastewater and tap water weekly are so close. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

In this study, a strong acidic-type cation exchange resin was used in the transesterification of corn oil to fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The gel-type cation exchange resin (Purolite-PD206) was used in H+ and Na+ forms to utilize ion-exchange resin as effective heterogeneous catalyst in the production of biodiesel. Effect of ionic forms of ion exchange resin on free fatty acid (FFA) conversion and composition was investigated by using different amounts of ion exchange resin (12, 16, and 20 wt%), various mole ratios of methanol to oil (1:6, 1:12, and 1:18 mol/mol), reaction temperatures (63, 65, and 67 degrees C), and reaction time (24, 36, and 48 h) during transesterification reaction. The highest FFA conversions of 73.5% and 79.45% were obtained at conditions of 20 wt% of catalyst, 65 degrees C of reaction temperature, 18:1 as methanol to oil ratio, and 48 h of reaction time for H+ and Na+ forms of ion exchange resin, respectively. These results were obtained from regression equations established by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) model according to the experimental results of selected parameters. Gas chromatography analysis revealed that FAME is mainly composed of C16:0 (palmitic), C18:1 (oleic), and C18:2 (linoleic) acids of methyl ester. Ege University Scientific Research Foundation, Grant/Award Number: 2017-FBE-009 Ege University Scientific Research FoundationEge University [2017-FBE-009] WOS: 000465092800015