Materials technological challenges for the biodiesel industry development in Mexico

INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DE MEXICALI, Academy of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Av. Tecnologico, Col. Elias Calles, 21396, Mexicali, Mexico Biodiesel as a fuel substitute of diesel has acquired great importance for its sustainable nature and contribution in reducing emissions. Its development and production at industrial level in the international context has been successful and continues to grow. Biodiesel also has a range of technological proven options for its obtaining. In Mexico, the current situation in economic, energy, environmental and social, has led a number of opportunities for biodiesel production and to increase its share in the energy matrix, in order to reduce the consumption of diesel, which in 2011 was 136.5 million barrels. Proof of this it is the following regulatory framework covered in the laws: use of renewable energy and energy transition funding, promotion and development of bioenergy. However, biodiesel is currently not exploited at industrial scale in Mexico since the development of this industry has a number of significant technological challenges. One of them is related to the interaction or contact of biofuel with a great variety of metallic and polymeric materials along the supply chain, including production, transportation and distribution, storage and consumption, operated by PEMEX (Mexican Petroleum). PEMEX infrastructure for transportation and distribution of fuels has 8,835 km of pipelines, 77 storage and distribution terminals, 15 marine terminals and fuel tankers, ship tankers and 9,232 fueling stations. Despite the existence of such infrastructure, it cannot be used as a support in the supply chain of biodiesel as its composition and characteristics differ from those of diesel. Biodiesel is more susceptible to oxidation, microbiological attack and sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, which cause variation in pH and water content. These conditions increase their corrosion and degradation effects on materials comprised in the systems implemented. Therefore, this chapter aims to provide an overview and analysis of the challenges and the materials proposed for the biodiesel supply. All of this is supported by an exhaustive review of the state of the art for an industry that shows its first developments in Mexico.