Scaling up extractive deacidification of waste cooking oil.

Biodiesel produced from waste feedstocks can play a significant role in fighting climate change, improperly disposed waste and growing energy demand. Waste feedstocks such as used cooking oil have a great potential for energy production. However, they often have to be purified from free fatty acids prior to biodiesel production. Extractive deacidification with deep eutectic solvents is a promising alternative to conventional purification methods. To evaluate the process of extractive deacidification of waste cooking oil, a full set of physical, hydrodynamic and kinetic data were experimentally determined on a laboratory scale. Hydrodynamic and kinetic experiments were performed in three geometrically similar jacketed agitated vessels. Vessels were equipped with axial flow impeller (four pitched blade impeller). Physical properties (density, viscosity and surface tension) were experimentally determined. Preliminary hydrodynamic experiments involved several model systems without mass transfer. As a result, correlation between power number and Reynolds number as well as scale-up criterion was developed. Obtained dependencies were correlated with the physical properties. Mixing intensity for achieving complete dispersion was determined. Second stage of investigation involved two sets of experiments, hydrodynamic and kinetic, with interphase mass transfer (the extraction of free fatty acids from waste cooking oil with deep eutectic solvent, potassium carbonate:ethylene glycol, 1:10). Obtained results enabled understanding interphase mass transfer and prediction of mass transfer coefficient from the derived dimensionless correlations. The values of volumetric mass transfer coefficients were smaller for the dispersed phase, indicating that the prevailing mass transfer resistance was within the droplets. The working hypothesis was that the same process result should be achieved at the same dispersion rate, and that hypothesis was confirmed - at all scales extraction efficiency was 97.9 ± 0.1%.

Lipase catalysed biodiesel synthesis with integrated glycerol separation in continuously operated microchips connected in series.

Although the application of microreactors in different processes has been extensively explored in recent decades, microreactors continue to be underexplored in the context of the enzyme-catalysed process for biodiesel production. Due to their numerous advantages, microreactors could become the next step in the development of a biodiesel production process characterised by sustainability, cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency. In this investigation, biodiesel production was catalysed by lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (Lipolase L100). Edible sunflower oil was used as a model substrate in order to investigate the process. After optimal process conditions had been determined, waste-cooking oil was used for biodiesel production to make the production process more sustainable. Three different substrate-feeding strategies were investigated and finally an optimal strategy was proposed. In all the investigated systems, fatty acids methyl esters (FAME) content was higher than 95% and obtained in a significantly shorter time (less than 2 h) compared to the batch process in which biodiesel production was catalysed by lipase (C = 95%, t = 96 h). After the optimal biodiesel production system had been proposed, an integrated system with two microchips connected in series was developed. The first microchip was used for biodiesel production and the second for simultaneous purification i.e. glycerol separation. Finally, purified biodiesel was produced with glycerol content below the detection limit.

The transition from primary to secondary school as stressful life event provoking risky drinking behaviors.

This study is based on a drug prevention project for children in the German-Polish border region known as "Pomerania." The aim of this project was to minimize risk behaviors while developing social skills as protective factors through project-specific training interventions. The present study especially investigates the development of social skills and risk behaviors at German and Polish primary schools in the critical transitional period from primary to secondary school. Data on German 4th graders and Polish 6th graders were collected by means of a longitudinal and control group design through 3rd-party assessment from teachers. The data on social skills was collected through the use of standardized assessment instruments. The study established that social skills could indeed be increased through training and that risk behaviors decreased in both of the treatment groups. The control group showed altogether an increase in risk behavior and a decrease in coping skills. In the Polish treatment group, even risk behaviors which had been detected previously decreased. The German control group showed an increase in risk behaviors and a decrease in coping skills. In the case of the younger German pupils, the effectiveness of the interventions was exhibited indirectly. Despite variations in age and cultural differences, the effects of training were noticeable in children from both countries. The intervention program offered the children adequate assistance in order to successfully cope with this stressful life event. It promoted the development of social skills while minimizing risk behaviors.

Extraction of S- and N-compounds from the mixture of hydrocarbons by ionic liquids as selective solvents.

Liquid-liquid extraction is an alternative method that can be used for desulfurization and denitrification of gasoline and diesel fuels. Recent approaches employ different ionic liquids as selective solvents, due to their general immiscibility with gasoline and diesel, negligible vapor pressure, and high selectivity to sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds. For that reason, five imidazolium-based ionic liquids and one pyridinium-based ionic liquid were selected for extraction of thiophene, dibenzothiophene, and pyridine from two model solutions. The influences of hydrodynamic conditions, mass ratio, and number of stages were investigated. Increasing the mass ratio of ionic liquid/model fuel and multistage extraction promotes the desulfurization and denitrification abilities of the examined ionic liquids. All selected ionic liquids can be reused and regenerated by means of vacuum evaporation.