I-Corps: Customer Discovery for Trap Grease to Biodiesel Process

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The broader/commercial impact of this I-Corps project lies in the diversion of fats, oils and grease (FOG) from landfill disposal to be reused as fuel in a low cost and environmentally friendly approach. The use of the technology will also potentially reduce sewer pipe blockage. Presently, approximately 4 billion pounds of trap grease and 2.7 billion pounds of used cooking oil are produced each year which can potentially yield nearly 500 million gallons of fuel. This is a significant addition to the total current biodiesel production of roughly 1,200 million gallons per year. This technology will greatly reduce waste disposal costs for commercial food processors, restaurants and fat rendering facilities. It can also offer biodiesel producers a low cost feedstock.This I-corps project will explore the commercial potential of a solvent-free extraction approach which can overcome the challenges of fats, oils and grease (FOG) emulsion, namely the impurities and high moisture content of the sewer grease. The approach does not use chemicals or solvents new to the current biodiesel process. Separate moisture removal processes are needed unlike other competing technologies. As a result of these two advantages, this process is expected to have lower energy consumption and lower costs than existing processes.