Cold Filter Plugging Point Of Biodiesel Research Articles

Influences of Cosolvents and Antifreeze Additives Derived from Glycerol through Esterification on Fuel Properties of Biodiesel

Bioglycerol is a major by-product of the biodiesel manufacturing process. Various chemical derivatives from bioglycerol would enhance its economic value. An antifreeze of glycerine acetate was chemically converted from an esterification reaction of bioglycerol with acetic acid. The photocatalyst TiO2/SO42− irradiated with ultraviolet light assisted the chemical conversion reaction. The molar ratio of acetic acid/bioglycerol was varied to obtain the optimum composition of the derived antifreeze product. Different cosolvents were considered to enhance the homogeneous extent between the antifreeze of glycerine acetate and biodiesel, and thus, the anti-freezing effect. The cosolvent/glycerine acetate, at various volumetric ratios from 0 to 0.25 vol.%, was blended into a commercial biodiesel. After 5 vol.% antifreeze of the glycerine acetate/cosolvent mixture of the biodiesel was added to the commercial biodiesel, the fuel properties of the biodiesel were analyzed. The effects of the cosolvent types and the blended volumetric ratio of cosolvent to the antifreeze of glycerine acetate on the fuel properties of the commercial biodiesel were analyzed to determine the optimum cosolvent type and volumetric composition of the cosolvent/glycerine acetate. The experimental results show that the antifreeze of glycerine acetate produced from the reaction of acetic acid/glycerol at a molar ratio equal to 8 under UV-light irradiation appeared to have the lowest freezing point. The UV-light irradiation on the TiO2/SO42− catalyst also caused higher triacylglycerol (TAG) and diacylglycerol (DAG) and lower monoacylglycerol (MAG) formation. In addition, the low-temperature fluidity was the most excellent when the volumetric percentage of the methanol/glycerine acetate was equal to 0.25 vol.%, at which the cold filter plugging point (CFPP) of the biodiesel was reduced from 3 °C for the neat biodiesel to −2 °C for the biodiesel blended with the mixture. In contrast, the effect of adding the antifreeze on the CFPP of the biodiesel was inferior; it was reduced from 3 °C for the neat biodiesel to 1 °C for the biodiesel when butanol cosolvent was added. The increase in the volumetric ratio of cosolvent/antifreeze increased the acid value and cetane index while it decreased the kinematic viscosity and CFPP. The heating value was observed to increase for butanol while decreasing for methanol with the increase in the volumetric ratio of cosolvent/antifreeze. In comparison to butanol, the cosolvent methanol caused a higher cetane index and acid value but a lower kinematic viscosity, heating value, and CFPP of the blended commercial biodiesel.

Fluid Characteristics of Biodiesel Produced from Palm Oil with Various Initial Water Contents

Biodiesel is regarded as a significant alternative fuel to petrodiesel due to its excellent combustion features and renewable character. The water content in the reactant mixtures needs to be considered so as to retard the conversion rate and it is suggested to be kept as low as possible. The fluid characteristics of biodiesel might be affected by initial water content; however, the optimum ratio of water content added to raw oil for achieving superior fluid characteristics of biodiesel has not yet been studied. Hence, this study empirically investigated the influences of the initial water content added to raw feedstock oil on the fluid characteristics of biodiesel. The experimental results show that an adequate amount of water content in the reactant mixture was found effective for improving the transesterification reaction and, in turn, the fluid characteristics. The biodiesel made from raw oil with 0.05 wt. % water content added was observed to bear the lowest water content, acid value, and cold filter plugging point (CFPP) and, therefore, superior fluidity at low temperatures. The lower CFPP of biodiesel is attributed to its more unsaturated fatty acids and lower iodine value. In addition, the biodiesel produced from feedstock oil with 0.02 wt. % water added was observed to have the lowest iodine value but the highest kinematic viscosity. The optimum content of initial water added to palm oil for superior fluid characteristics of the biodiesel product is thus suggested to be in the range between 0.02 wt. % and 0.05 wt. %.

Study on Cold Flow Properties of Typical Materials Biodiesel and its Blends

The chemical compositions of biodiesel are analyzed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), and theirs molecular structure are investigated on the basis of the hybrid orbital theory. Cold filter plugging point (CFPP) of biodiesel is studied by CFPP tester, the solution crystallization theory and the similarity-intermiscibility principle. Good correlation models are proposed for prediction biodiesel CFPP by chemical compositions and CFPP of biodiesel-petrodiesel blends by biodiesel ratio. The study shows that biodiesel is mainly composed of SFAME (C14:0C24:0) and UFAME (C16:1C22:1, C18:2and C18:3). Carbon atoms of the alkyl for SFAME arrange in a zigzag pattern by CCC=109.5°. C-C carbon atoms of the alkyl arrange in a zigzag pattern by CCC=109.5°, too, carbon chain is curved by C=C in CCC=122.0°, and curved degree increases with increasing unsaturated degree. CFPP of biodiesel is mainly determined by chemical compositions. CFPP increases with the amount and carbon chain length of SFAME. CFPP of biodiesel-petrodiesel blends is mainly determined by chemical compositions and ratio of biodiesel. To lower SFAMEC20biodiesel, such as PME, CSME, WME, SBME and RME, it blending with-10PD can formed a eutectic mixture. CFPP of the eutectic mixture is-12 °C. The biodiesel ratio for the lowest CFPP rang increases with decreasing SFAME. Such as, SFAME contents in PME, CSME, WME, SBME and RME are 35.86, 32.12, 31.04, 18.29 and 14.69 w% respectively, and the range of biodiesel ratio is 520, 1020, 2030, 3050 and 4060 v% respectively. To higher SFAMEC20biodiesel, such as PNME, CFPP increases with PNME ratio.

Application of mesoporous catalysts over palm-oil biodiesel for adjusting fuel properties

Biodiesel has superior fuel characteristics, including a higher flash point, better lubricity, and higher oxygen content, and is thus considered a promising alternative clean fuel to petroleum diesel. The cold filter plugging point (CFPP) is the most significant indicator of the low-temperature fluidity of biodiesel. The CFPP of biodiesel is generally higher than that of petroleum diesel primarily due to the longer carbon-chain structures of the fatty acids in the former. Raw materials such as palm oil and waste cooking oil are widely used as the feedstock to produce biodiesel because of their low cost, good availability, and stable lipid provision. However, they generally have a poor low-temperature fluidity, which limits their application in colder climates. In this experimental study, the catalytic dehydrogenation and cracking reaction technique was used to reduce the CFPP of palm-oil biodiesel with an initial CFPP of as high as 14 °C. The catalytic variables of the type of mesoporous catalyst and operating temperature are considered in this study. The resultant fuel properties of palm-oil biodiesel catalyzed by MCM-41 and SiO 2/Fe 3O 4 were compared with biodiesel thermally cracked without a catalyst. The operating temperature of the catalyzed dehydrogenation and cracking reaction was controlled in the range between 400 and 600 °C. The CFPP decrease reached a maximum of 12 °C when the biodiesel was catalyzed by SiO 2/Fe 3O 4 at 600 °C. The maximum water content was produced when the biodiesel sample was thermally cracked with no catalyst at 600 °C. Biodiesel that was catalytically dehydrogenated and cracked with MCM-41 or SiO 2/Fe 3O 4 had a higher iodine value and a lower kinematic viscosity, specific gravity, and CFPP than biodiesel cracked thermally without a catalyst. Moreover, the rate of water formation was reduced when the catalysts were used in the dehydrogenation and cracking reaction. Palm-oil biodiesel catalyzed by SiO 2/Fe 3O 4 at 600 °C was found to produce the lowest CFPP (2 °C), specific gravity, and kinematic viscosity and the highest iodine value of all of the biodiesel samples studied.