ROBIN CAMP/Gazette-Times Oregon State University researchers believe they have discovered a microtechnology breakthrough that would make production of biodiesel more feasible for consumers. Lee Keener and other community members of the Twelve Tribes Community are touring the United States to share their way of life. Their bus is converted to run on biodiesel.

Fueling a breakthrough

By Mary Ann Albright
Gazette-Times reporter

Scientists start using microtechnology to convert farm products to biodiesel fuel

If scientists at Oregon State University have their way, soon farmers may be able to power tractors and combines with biodiesel created from their own soybean, canola, rape and mustard seed crops.

Using microtechnology, OSU faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, along with researchers from the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, have developed a new way to create this earth-friendly energy source.

Goran Jovanovic, professor of chemical engineering, serves as lead investigator in the ONAMI-funded effort to revolutionize biodiesel manufacturing.

In the classical method of production, anyone can whip up biodiesel in a kitchen pot, Jovanovic explained. Mixing an oil, such as spent cooking oil or soybean oil, with an alcohol, most commonly ethanol or methanol, triggers a reaction that creates byproducts of glycerol and biodiesel.

Jovanovic and his team employ a more sophisticated methodology. About two years ago, they began using microreactors to make biodiesel.

Jovanovic keeps a design prototype in a sandwich bag in his office. It's a plastic plate with 30 microreactor channels running parallel to each other, each about the width of a human hair. The entire plate can easily fit in the palm of a hand.

At one end of the plate are two indents. Jovanovic fills one with alcohol and the other with oil. They flow down the channels, reacting and producing glycerol — a common ingredient in soap n and biodiesel.

"One microreactor makes a small amount, but millions of them make a lot," Jovanovic said.

He noted that microtechnology produces biodiesel about 100 times faster than the classical method. Another benefit is the small size of the plates, which makes the microreactors discrete and deployable.

"I'm very happy with what we've done so far," Jovanovic reflected. "Now we'd like to see it become a reality. The technology is ready from a science and engineering perspective. Now it's up to the business side."

OSU's department of research is patenting this microtechnology. After it secures a patent, the university can license this technology to businesses.

Jovanovic said he strongly believes this could be a profitable enterprise, but he is quick to note that money isn't the only way to measure success.

"Is there a price on a cubic meter of clean air?" he said.

Biodiesel powers vehicles just as well as petroleum diesel fuel, but it doesn't emit sulphur. It also recycles carbon dioxide, as opposed to creating more, and has lower soot and carbon monoxide emissions than fossil fuels.

Gail Achterman, director of the Oregon Institute for Natural Resources, believes that investing in university research projects will ultimately improve the state's economy and encourage sustainability.

"The work that Dr. Jovanovic is doing absolutely exemplifies the link between microtechnology, nanotechnology, sustainability and agriculture," she said. "The use of microreactors to produce biodiesel will enable Oregon farmers potentially to reduce their own operating costs and create new value-added fuel products."

Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.