Chemists have developed a method of purifying biodiesel made from vegetable oils, by removing glycerol, the main by-product of vegetable oil-based biodiesel, using ionic liquids made in part by vitamin B4 (choline chloride).

The process is cheap, simple and low in toxicity, and effectively provides a sustainable methodology for the purification of biodiesel without the production of significant waste.

Professor Abbott commented: "We hope that further research will optimise the ionic liquid recycling and recovery of the glycerol. We are hoping to collaborate with a biodiesel producer to test this technology further."

Source: University of Leicester