LONDON, June 19:
Waste coffee grinds could be turned into a sustainable fuel to power vehicles, scientists have found.
Oil can be extracted from coffee grounds by soaking them in an organic solvent, before being chemically transformed into biodiesel via a process called ‘transesterification’, according to researchers from the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies at University of Bath.
As part of the study, the researchers made biofuel from ground coffee produced in 20 different geographic regions, including caffeinated and decaffeinated forms, as well as Robusta and Arabica varieties.
“Around 8 million tonnes of coffee are produced globally each year and ground waste coffee contains up to 20 per cent oil per unit weight,” said Dr Chris Chuck, Whorrod Research Fellow from the Department of Chemical Engineering.
“This oil also has similar properties to current feedstocks used to make biofuels. But, while those are cultivated specifically to produce fuel, spent coffee grounds are waste. Using these, there’s a real potential to produce a truly sustainable second-generation biofuel,” Chuck said.
The research found that there was a reasonably standard composition and little variation in the relevant physical properties of the fuels, irrespective of the source. (PTI)
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