Subcritical hydrolysis followed by methyl estrification was used to produce bio-diesel from low valued waste cooking oil at mild reaction conditions in this study. More than 90% fatty acid methyl esther (FAME) conversion was achieved by subcritical hydrolysis without using catalysts at 275℃ for 45 minutes. The highest conversion to linoleic acid (C18:2) was obtained at this condition. The higher content of free fatty acid (FFA) in waste cooking oil resulted in higher conversion to FAME. It was also observed more prominent at high temperature due to auto catalytic behavior of FFA. FAME yield found about 92% without using catalyst; whereas 98% yield was obtained using 80% TiO2 loading S-TiO2/MCM-41 catalyst at 220℃ and 20 minutes. The amount of FAME increased may be due to trans-esterification of un-reacted TG, DG, and MG with methanol remained during the hydrolysis stage. The higher FAME conversion means the better quality bio-diesel.

Four cast iron pipe sections containing 3 styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) gaskets (1 joint and 2 end caps) were filled with water and maintained at approximately 40 psi internal pressure. The pipe sections were placed inside 16 gallon drums filled with initially clean sand. Three of the tanks were subsequently contaminated with gasoline, gasoline spiked with pyrene and naphthalene, and toluene. The forth tank served as a control. The water inside each pipe was monitored over time for organic chemical contamination. Permeation of organic chemicals into the water inside the pipe systems was found to occur in all 3 contaminated pipe systems after approximately 100 days as measured organic chemicals concentrations were significantly above those in the uncontaminated cell. Flushing experiments in which the water inside the contaminated pipes was replaced with initially clean water showed that organic chemical concentrations inside the pipe rapidly (12 days) reached their preflushing levels.