State Of Art of the First and the Second Generation of the Biodiesel Synthesis

Abstract

The imminent decline of fossil fuel resources, on the one hand, and its high market prices and increased environmental awareness, on the other hand, made the production of alternative fuels from renewable resources race more and more important. Biodiesel is a promising alternative substitute for diesel being environmentally friendly due to its renewability, biodegradability, and high quality exhaust emission. This paper describes the state of the art of the first and second-generation biodiesel produced nowadays in the world. It also discussed different raw materials sources, technological paths of the synthesis, as well as the properties, quality, and performance of the first and second-generation biodiesel.