Assessment of glycerol in biodiesel using an ultrasonic measurement method

Abstract

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel, biodegradable and alternative to diesel oil consisting chemically of fatty acid alkyl esters and obtained by the transesterification reaction. After transesterification, undesirable components may remain in biodiesel. The presence of these components negatively influences the properties and performance of biodiesel. This research aims to evaluate biodiesel quality, using the quantitative ultrasound technique to determine the presence of the contaminant glycerol in biodiesel samples. The blends used in this study consisted of biodiesel and glycerol varying from 0 % to 0.5 % of glycerol by mass. The measurement uncertainty was evaluated according to the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement. The speed of sound in biodiesel/glycerol blends was measured by the pulse-echo technique (@ 5 MHz) and was considered equivalent for the different concentrations studied. The maximum measurement uncertainty obtained was 2.2 m·s−1 (0.16 %).