Abstract
Biodiesel fuel is the realistic fuel for the future due to its environmental, economic and energetic benefits. However, the degradation and instability during biodiesel storage and application present the major disadvantages and hence a modern scientific challenge. The aim of this study was to choose optimal parameters for biodiesel synthesis from fresh and waste sunflower cooking oil and to investigate the possibilities of increasing its resistance towards oxidative degradation. Various physico-chemical characteristics essential for the quality estimation of the resulting biodiesel products were compared before testing the effectiveness of natural and synthetic antioxidants. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), carvacrol and α-tocopherol were added to the biodiesel in different concentrations in order to determine their efficiency during the Schaal oven test. Results proved that both, fresh and waste oil can be valuable sources for the synthesis of biodiesel that meets European and American quality standards. Among the antioxidants, BHT was the most efficient one in both types of biodiesel and its usage would be recommended at the concentration of 1000 ppm. The findings present a cost-effective and environmentally friendly source for biodiesel production with improved properties - considerably enhanced resistance to oxidative degradation, where synthetic antioxidants are given the priority. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v10i7.1174
Highlights
Environmental and economic concerns have initiated the search for viable alternatives for fossil fuels
peroxide value (PV) is not specified in biodiesel fuel standards, this parameter influences the cetane number (CN) which is specified in fuel standards; increasing PV increases CN [11]
The biodiesel characterisation revealed that the measured parameters met the European (EN 14214) and American (ASTM D 6751) biodiesel fuel quality standards
Summary
Environmental and economic concerns have initiated the search for viable alternatives for fossil fuels. Vegetable oil and animal fat are favourable sources for biodiesel production as they are natural, biodegradable and non-toxic materials [1]. Biodiesel is commonly defined as the mono-alkyl esters of vegetable oils or animal fats. It is produced by transesterifying the oil or fat with an alcohol such as methanol under mild conditions in the presence of a base catalyst. The fatty acid profile of biodiesel corresponds to that of the parent oil or fat it is obtained from. Changes occur in composition as well as physico-chemical properties of biodiesel which include acid value (AV), density, viscosity, peroxide value (PV), induction period (IP) and flash point (FP). Hydroperoxides, aldehydes, ketones, and acids are produced during oxidation process and are responsible for the
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