Author : Shalika Devi, Himanshu Bhaskar, Krishnendu Kundu and V. R. Dahake

 
Waste papers such as old newspaper, waste paper chunks or any other paper products can be used for the production of fuel Ethyl Levulinate which can be used as an additive to the biodiesel. The utilization of the ethanol as an additive to the diesel leads to some specific problems due to the difference in their chemical properties. The Ethyl Levulinate is an ester of levulinic acid derived from the cellulose may be served as an oxygenative diesel additive. The local newspapers were used as the source of the cellulose. They were treated with the dilute sodium hydroxide (18%) at 100 °C to extract the pure cellulose and remove the lignin present in it. The paper pulp was further treated with 10 ml of hydrogen peroxide, which helps in the deinking of the newspaper. The paper pulp extracted undergoes acid catalyzed cellulose hydrolysis at 200 °C for 30 min using sulfuric acid and ethanol to produce the ester, ethyl levulinate. At the end of the reaction the extract was treated with diethyl ether which results in the formation of two layers; the upper layer is light yellow in color which is ethyl levulinate and bottom layer is dark yellow in color which is resin. The production of the levulinic acid was confirmed by spectrophotometer at 340 nm wavelength.

Keywords: – Paper waste; Esterification; Cellulose; Additive; Hydrolysis

Article published in International Journal of Current  Engineering  and Technology, Vol.3,No.2 (June- 2013)