# Utilization of Polymeric Materials toward Sustainable Biodiesel Industry: A Recent Review
## 6 Economic Feasibility  
Economic development is strongly connected with energy availability. Affordable energy resources make all the difference regarding sustainable economic growth [116]. Hence, biodiesel fuel contributes significantly as an alternative fuel for petroleum-based diesel since 53 billion liters of renewable biodiesel were produced in 2021 [2]. Considering 70-80% costs of biodiesel production come from the raw materials, low-cost raw materials \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Polymers** & **Biodiesel** & **Temperature (\({}^{\circ}\)C)** & **Time (Day)** & **Effect** & **Reference** \\ \hline Teflon, Viton A401-C. & Biodiesel blends & 51.7 & 29 & Insignificant change & [115] \\ Viton GFLT & & & & & \\ \hline Nitrile rubber. & & & & & \\ Polychloroprene, and fluoro-Viton A & Palm biodiesel & 50 & 20.83 & Insignificant change & [31] \\ \hline POM & Palm biodiesel and acidic-bodiesel blends & 55 & 98 & Insignificant change & [17] \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 10: Stable polymers toward biodiesel exposure. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l c c c c} \hline \hline
**Polymers** & **Biodiesel** & **Temperature (\({}^{\circ}\)C)** & **Time (Day)** & **Effect** & **Reference** \\ \hline HDPE & Soybean and sunflower & & 60 & 125 & Increase 5\% weight & [113] \\  & biodiesel & & & & \\ \hline HDPE & Palm biodiesel and & & & & \\ acidic-bodiesel blends. & 55 & 98 & Increase 5\% weight & [17] \\ \hline PA66 & Palm biodiesel and & & & & \\ acidic-bodiesel blends. & 55 & 98 & Decrease 2\% weight & [17] \\ \hline PE and POM & Biodiesel of palm, conalo, soybean, and cotton & Room temperature & 28 & Decrease 1\% weight & [114] \\ \hline PTFE & Palm biodiesel and diesel & 25 & 41.67 & \
\begin{tabular}{l} Decrease weight and \\ volume \\ \end{tabular} & [32] \\ \hline EPDM & Palm biodiesel and diesel & 25 & 41.67 &
\begin{tabular}{l} Weakness in hardness \\ and tensile stress. \\ \end{tabular} & [32] \\ \hline Nylon 6/6. & & & & \\ Nitrile rubber. & & & & \\ High-density & & & & \\ polypropylene. & & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 9: Instable polymers toward biodiesel exposure. would be more feasible economically [12]. In this respect, polymers represent a low-cost feedstock to synthesize polymeric biodiesel fuel. Those polymeric raw materials are sourced from carbonic-rich wastes and organic matters. Beside affordability, polymeric raw materials feature biocompatibility, biodegradability, and sustainability. The economic analysis of biodiesel production includes the catalyst costs. In order to reduce the costs of final biodiesel product, low-cost catalysts are an essential factor toward sustainable and affordable biodiesel industry. Polymers, in particular naturally and waste derived, offered low-cost composites to catalyze FFA esterification and triglycerides transesterification reactions. Indeed, such an approach promotes green chemistry since it reduces the accumulated wastes and utilizes the natural materials in energy industry. Beside the catalytic materials, the reusability characteristic of polymeric catalysts enhances the reduction of biodiesel production costs. Polymer-derived catalysts proved efficiency for converting triglycerides into alkyl esters for several cycles which helps to save the resources and reduce the production costs [24; 89]. Avoiding the negative impact of the final product is accountable in the economic evaluation [116]. In this regard, polymers offered composites to enhance the physicochemical properties of biodiesel that would boost the fuel performance and curb the combustion emissions. In addition, polymers materials that showed stability in exposure with biodiesel are used as containers and auto parts in direct contact with biodiesel fuel. Such materials are more affordable alternatives. In general, introducing polymers in biodiesel industry is intended to reduce the costs of raw materials and catalysts, enhance fuel characteristics, and avoid the negative impact in materials exposed with biodiesel.