Used Cooking Oil Converted Into Fuel For Vehicles

Tag : plumbum

Through the innovation of 23-year-old Wan Khairul Norhaizan WanIshak, the university found that used cooking oil could beconverted into fuel for vehicles. And its environment-friendly!

"Biodiesel oil is safer and more economical compared tocurrent energy sources. Its also free of plumbum (technical nameof lead) and in line with aims to reduce green house effect, asrecommended by the Kyoto Protocol.

"More importantly, use cooking oil which many have beenthrowing away, could be recycled as an alternative source of energyfor motor vehicles," she said, when met at the National LevelResearch and Innovation Competition 2008.

Wan Khairul Norhaizan is a final year student of the USM ChemicalEngineering Research Centre.

Elaborating, she said the used cooking oil has to be separatedfirst from other substance in it, before it is processed through achemical reaction.

"Through this innovation, one litre of used cooking oil canproduced one litre of biodiesel oil. This means the used cookingoil is used in full, without any wastage.

"Some vehicles may need to go through a modification before itcan be used as biodiesel fuel. Nevertheless, now there are somevehicle producers such as Honda and Toyota which have introducedbiodiesel vehicles. I believe biodiesel has the potential toreplace fuel soon," she added.

She also said substance used in the modification process can berepeatedly used.

Apart from biodiesel fuel, this innovation has also successfullyproduced 'glycerin'  which is a common ingredient in thepharmaceutical industry in the world.

NOTE: Translated from Malay press release. Original Article -http://www.usm.my/v3/berita-penuh.asp?id=5781&idform=7
Mohamad Abdullah | Source: ResearchSEA
Further information: www.usm.my/v3/berita-penuh.asp?id=5781&idform=7
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