Can a castor oil biorefinery produce biodiesel and biochemicals simultaneously?
Goal and outline The goal of this paper is conceptual design, simulation and economic analysis of a castor oil biorefinery for producing simultaneously biodiesel and bio-chemicals. Four distinct processes are studied, from which two regard castor oil transesterification, followed by fatty ester pyrolysis and undecylenic acid amination.
How Castor oil is made?
Crude castor oil is sent to the refinery plant to make high quality refined oil. The main crude oil refining process include settling and degumming, bleaching, neutralization and deodorization. Settling and Degumming: Castor oil contains gum material that affect utilization of the oil as a lubricant.
Will Morocco’s refinery move make sense now?
The move might make sense now. But current market dynamics are not guaranteed to last. Morocco’s sole refinery, the 200,000 b/d Samir plant in Mohammedia has been stuck in financial and legal limbo since 2015 when it was mothballed due to its inability to pay billions in accrued debts to multiple creditors ( MEES, 14 August 2015 ).
Where is Morocco’s sole oil refinery?
Morocco’s sole oil refinery in Mohammedia, near Casablanca, on June 22, 2019. Three years after it was liquidated for racking up billions of euros worth of debt, Morocco’s sole oil refinery and one-time economic flagship is struggling to attract a buyer and survive. – AFP via Getty Images)