Protein^®

Jatropha seed photo courtesy of Mali Biocarburant, a Malian collective biodiesel producer.

One of the byproducts of the biodiesel refining process is glycerin: For every 10 pounds of biodiesel, about 1 pound of glycerin is also produced. In certain countries, Mali in particular, the glycerin is being used in soap making, so as to increase the revenue from a given quantity of feedstock.

In most other places, the rapid increase in biodiesel production volumes has resulted in producers having to pay to get rid of their leftover glycerin, Rice University researcher Ramon Gonzalez told