Assam researchers find fungal formula to produce biodiesel

GUWAHATI

A team of researchers in Assam has found a fungal formula to produce clean fuel from a blend of oils, some edible.

The team developed an efficient catalyst utilising ‘spent mushroom substrate’, a term used for the waste generated after mushrooms are harvested, to produce an alternative to fossil fuel from four different oils – jatropha, neem, soybean, and rice bran – mixed and stirred in equal ratio.

The paper explaining the process was published in the latest issue of Bioresource Technology Reports.

The authors of the study are Sujata Brahma and Sanjay Basumatary from Bodoland University’s Department of Chemistry; Bipul Das from the Chemical Engineering Division of the Jorhat-based CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology; Biswajit Nath from the Department of Chemistry in Kokrajhar’s Science College; Rebecca Daimari from Bodoland University’s Department of Botany; and Raju Ali, Papia Das, Sharmistha Brahma Kaur, Jonali Owary, and Sandeep Das from Bodoland University’s Department of Biotechnology.

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According to the study, a new catalyst was synthesised by converting powdered waste substrate of the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom into graphene oxide with the use of ferrocene, followed by its magnetisation and impregnation with potassium carbonate. This yielded a nanocomposite material, which was applied for the trans-esterification of the four-oil blend. Trans-esterification reactions involve the conversion of fats and oils into biodiesel.

“Biodiesel, commonly called fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), stands to fit the need for an environmentally benign and efficient alternative to fossil fuels. It is mainly synthesised by trans-esterification of triglycerides present in vegetable oil and animal fats with alcohol in the presence of a suitable catalyst,” Sandeep Das said.

“A catalyst is crucial for the trans-esterification to produce FAME. Heterogeneous catalysts are mostly recommended as they are easily recoverable, reusable, and inexpensive, with very little wastewater production, making researchers focus on waste biomass,” he said.

The study outlined the global expansion of mushroom cultivation because of its rich nutritional content and medicinal benefits.

“Mushrooms are mostly cultivated on various agricultural wastes such as paddy straw, corn waste, sawdust, tea waste, sugarcane bagasse, fruits and vegetables peels, and onion wastes. The spent mushroom substrate or post-harvest waste is either dumped or incinerated and can create a major environmental concern,” the study noted, underscoring the advantages of utilising the waste for energy or fuel production.

The researchers also emphasised the importance of blending edible and non-edible oils, including waste cooking oil, to produce biodiesel without triggering an edible oil crisis.