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Fueling the Interdisciplinary Flame: Exploring Plant‐Based Alternative Fuels in the Undergraduate Laboratory
Author(s) -
Gregorzak Gabriel,
Fajardo Jacqueline,
Baillie Mark,
HlousekRadojcic Alenka
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.559.47
Subject(s) - biofuel , biochemical engineering , curriculum , biodiesel , transesterification , environmental science , waste management , microbiology and biotechnology , pulp and paper industry , engineering , chemistry , biology , psychology , organic chemistry , methanol , pedagogy , catalysis
A laboratory module intended for an integrated course was developed to highlight relevant and interrelated concepts described in both introductory biology and general chemistry with an enrollment of nearly 500 students. The ever‐present depletion of petroleum energy reserves is an ongoing societal concern. Concomitantly, there is growing interest in identifying natural sources of alternative fuels and optimizing the efficiency of their use. To enhance student awareness of alternative fuel availability from natural resources, we have developed a lab centered on the production of biofuels produced from seed‐oil extracts. Oil was physically extracted from a variety of seed types including pumpkin, sunflower, walnut, & flax, and utilized an efficient, small‐scale, and green approach. The physical extraction technique replaced commonly used organic solvent extraction methods used in many academic and educational labs. Extracted oil was then subject to transesterification to yield the biofuel product. The energy content of this biofuel was measured and compared to ethanol using calorimetric analysis. This distinctive laboratory experience will allow large numbers of freshmen students to recognize the broader implications of their curriculum beyond the boundaries of the classroom. This project was made possible through funding by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.