Production and Quality of Biodiesel under the Influence of a Rapeseed Fertilization System

Andra Lovasz, Nicu Cornel Sabau, Ioana Borza () and Radu Brejea
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Andra Lovasz: Doctoral School of Engineering Sciences, Agriculture, University of Oradea, 1 University Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania
Nicu Cornel Sabau: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Magheru Street, 410048 Oradea, Romania
Ioana Borza: Department of Agriculture-Horticulture, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Magheru Street, 410048 Oradea, Romania
Radu Brejea: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Magheru Street, 410048 Oradea, Romania

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-27

Abstract: Compared to fossil fuels, biodiesel is a clean fuel, does not pollute the environment, and can be produced from inexhaustible natural sources. The objectives of our research are to study how increasing doses of complex fertilizers, applied to rapeseed oil culture, affect the production of rapeseeds and oil; the comparative study between the quality parameters of refined rapeseed oil (RRO) and fatty acids (FA); and the analysis of the quality of the biodiesel obtained from them (BRO and BFA). The experimental field is set-up in a Latin rectangle format and is placed on a total area of 400 m 2 divided into 16 parcels, randomized for uniformity with four replications and four fertilizer graduations (N 0 P 0 K 0 —Control, N 160 P 160 K 160 , N 320 P 320 K 320 , N 480 P 480 K 480 ). To obtain biodiesel form oil (BRO) and fatty acids (BFA), the processes of esterification, transesterification, refining, washing, sedimentation, and drying were applied. A comparison between biodiesel quality parameters from RRO and FAs were made, and we highlighted the differences in quality compared to samples from the experimental field. The use of large amounts of complex fertilizers leads to high yields of rapeseed (13.3–47.0 q ha −1 ) and oil (629.8–2130.8 L ha −1 ), which are statistically significant only for high doses (N 320 P 320 K 320 and N 480 P 480 K 480 ). For most of the qualitative parameters studied, the differences in values between BFA and BRO have positive values, which means a higher quality for BRO. Both BRO and BFA generally fall within the quality parameters imposed by European standards (ES). Although the quality of BRO is superior to BFA, it is produced on a smaller scale due to the nutritional importance of refined rapeseed oil. This study is of particular importance in the optimization of rapeseed fertilization, with a view to the efficient conversion of crude oil, a feedstock for chemical fertilizers and an environmentally friendly fuel.

Keywords: rapeseed oil; biodiesel; fatty acids; esterification; transesterification; crude ester; complex fertilizer; quality parameters (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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