Claude Caldwell

The Optimization of Alkali-Catalyzed Biodiesel Production from Camelina sativa Oil Using a Response Surface Methodology

Camelina sativa oil is considered a promising feedstock for biodiesel production. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize camelina biodiesel production by an alkali-catalyzed transesterification process. The effects of independent factors (temperature, time, molar ratio of methanol/oil, and catalyst concentration) on dependent variables (product yield and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield), was investigated. Mathematical regression models were developed for prediction of the biodiesel product yield and FAME yield. The camelina biodiesel product yield (97%) and FAME yield (98.9%) were achieved at the optimal reaction conditions of 38.7°C reaction temperature, 40 min reaction time, 7.7 molar ratio of methanol/oil, and 1.5 wt.% catalyst concentration.

A Comparative Study on the Performance of Fiber-Based Biosorbents in the Purification of Biodiesel Derived from Camelina sativa

Biodiesel has received great interest as a promising substitute for petrodiesel. Biodiesel purification which follows the transesterification process is typically carried out using a wet washing process that generates large amounts of wastewater. Consequently, alternative methods are emerging as sustainable options for biodiesel purification. One of such methods is a dry washing process. In this paper, the performance of three dry washing media (commercially available BD-Zorb, sawdust and wood shavings) were evaluated as potentially suitable options for the purification of biodiesel derived from Camelina sativa . The results indicate that for the crude camelina biodiesel with an initial soap content of 9007 ppm, BD-Zorb exhibited the best purification performance. The soap removal capacity of BD-Zorb, sawdust, and wood shavings was 51.1 mL/g, 24.4 mL/g, and 9.4 mL/g respectively. The primary mechanism of soap removal using sawdust and wood shavings media was physical filtration and adsorption. While for adsorbent BD-Zorb, soap removal mechanism included adsorption and ion exchange due to the existence of a small amount of resins. The ion exchange led to a high acid number (1 mg KOH/g) of the purified biodiesel, and failed to meet the ASTM D6751 specifications (<0.5 mg KOH/g).

Ten Years’ Chinese-Canadian Collaboration in Undergraduate Education in Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University of China: Curriculum Development

The Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University-Nova Scotia Agricultural College (FAFU-NSAC) 2 + 2 undergraduate program initiated in 2003 is a model for creative collaboration between China and Canada in undergraduate education. This paper addresses the achievements of the program development and highlights the process for successful curriculum development in the joint program. The authors also discuss some issues and challenges related to the Chinese-Canadian experience in undergraduate education, and propose some recommendations for further collaborations including: enlarging the scale of qualified programs; proposing a systematic baseline to control the program at a macro-level; simplifying coordination procedures with foreign partners; and adjusting the emphasis of courses introduced by the cooperative partner from quantity to quality.