Ever Cat Fuels, LLC617 Pierce Street , Anoka, Minnesota, United States

A new way to produce biodiesel in a fixed bed flow-through reactor that could change how the industry produces this renewable fuel has been developed. This technology was initially developed at the University of Minnesota Department of Chemistry by Dr. Peter W. Carr for separation science and then conceived of for biodiesel catalysis by Professor Arlin Gyberg of Augsburg College and Dr. Clayton McNeff, cofounder of Ever Cat Fuels, LLC. The key to this new technology is a highly efficient, heterogeneous metal oxide-based catalyst reactor that efficiently and economically converts feedstock plant oils and animal fats to biodiesel. 

Mcgyan® Biodiesel Process

• Oil to Fuel one step continuous process
• Oil to Fuel in seconds
• All known feedstocks
• Ageless Catalyst

Mcgyan® Process 

Here is how it works: The process is termed the Mcgyan® process after the names of the inventors (McNeff, Gyberg and Yan). The process performs a catalytic conversion of triglycerides and free fatty acids into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMES); in other words into biodiesel. In addition to the environmental advantages of producing a biofuel that replaces conventional fossil fuels (fossil fuels have detrimental effects on the environment since they release sequestered carbon compounds and other pollutants into the atmosphere, whereas bio-based fuels such as biodiesel are more environmentally friendly since their use recycles carbon through renewable biomass and because they burn cleaner than petroleum fuels), this new process offers several advantages over current biodiesel production methods.

Process Benefits

• Current waste products can be turned into fuel.
• No use of strong acids or bases in the process.
• Fast reaction times (seconds).
• Cheap feedstocks such as waste grease and animal tallow as well as a variety of plant oils can be converted to biodiesel.
• The metal oxide based catalyst is a contained in a fixed bed reactor thereby eliminating the current need to continuously add catalyst to the reaction mixture thereby reducing the amount of waste produced.
• Unwanted side reactions with free fatty acids producing soaps are eliminated, thereby reducing the amount of waste that must be disposed of properly.
• Insensitive to free fatty acid and water content of the feedstocks.
• Flexible feedstock; animal or plant sources of lipids can be used.
• The catalyst does not "poison" over time.