The reduction of exhaust gases from the distillation column using two condensers to assessment of the carbon footprint of the biodiesel plant

Distillation columns play a central role in biodiesel production by facilitating the effective separation and purification processes that are crucial for ensuring product quality. Operating under reactive or conventional configurations, these columns are significant sources of energy demand and can generate emissions, particularly when methanol or other volatile by-products are released during the separation process. Integrating heat exchangers into the system enables energy recovery and process optimisation. This reduces the net energy input and helps to decrease the plant's overall carbon footprint. This study aimed to compare exhaust emissions from a single-condenser distillation process with those from a two-condenser distillation process. Additionally, it delves into the utilization of cooling media in either configuration, exploring the differences in their application. The study found that the lowest emission values were seen at 105°C in Scenario 4, with carbon monoxide at 0.9%, carbon dioxide at 4.4%, and total hydrocarbons at 804 ppm, as well as a global warming evaluation of 0.0012 kg CO₂ eq, a eutrophication evaluation of 0.0001 kg PO 4 eq, and an acidification evaluation of kg SO₂ eq.