Optimization of Cold Flow Properties of Biodiesel by Addition of Cold Flow Improver

Despite the renewable and sustainable characteristics, biodiesel is poor in cold flow property (CFP) which causes a significant drawback that have limited its application. Thickening or crystallization of biodiesel in low temperature can readily result in the clogging of fuel pipes and fuel filters. The purpose of this study is to determine the optimum properties of blended biodiesel that gives the most accurate simulation results of blended biodiesel’s CFP. TmoleX18 and COSMOthermX were used to identify the viscosities and densities of pure palm oil biodiesel and pure ethanol under different temperatures. The densities, viscosities and pour points of ethanol blended biodiesel was then calculated by using Grunberg-Nissan and, Riazi and Daubert equations. The simulation results were obtained under different compositions of ethanol added from 0 to 0.2 mole fraction at temperature range of 30 °C to -5 °C. The optimum combination of viscosities and densities of blended biodiesel for the blended cold flow properties was at 10 °C and 30 °C respectively. The simulation error at 0.1 mole fraction of ethanol was 0.92 %.

Polymer Cold-Flow Improvers for Biodiesel

In recent decades, biodiesel has been explored as a prospective comparable fuel to petroleum diesel for compression ignition engines. However, several drawbacks have limited the wide application of biodiesel as motor fuel, and the poor cold-flow property is one of the major problems. This problem is compounded by the diversity of the biodiesel characteristics arising from a variety of chemical compositions of biodiesel from different sources. Among the methods investigated to improve the cold-flow properties of biodiesel, the use of additives seems highly promising. Despite the significant number of publications, the potential of this method is still far from having been completely discovered or exploited. In the present review, we briefly describe the sources, chemical composition, and physico-chemical characteristics of the main types of biodiesel. Next, we discuss the examples of the use of different polymer additives for the improvement of the cold-flow characteristics of biodiesel and biodiesel/petroleum diesel blends. Additionally, we tried to assess the prospects of the polymer additives to enhance biodiesel performance. The main conclusion of this survey is that innovative and high-efficiency cold-flow improvers for biodiesel should be further developed.

Characterization of the Physicochemical Property of Blend of Butanol and Octanol with Biodiesel

Energy is the major concern around the world not because it is limited availability of petroleum fuel but also due to its environmental effects, greenhouse gas emissions and ozone layer depletion. The compression ignition engine widely used in the agriculture, transportation, electric generation sector which mainly driven by fossil diesel. To counter the cause produce by fossil diesel use and its limited resources, bio-derived fuel may play a major role to fulfill the requirement. But, it has been observed that higher viscosity of biodiesel leads to poor atomization and improper mixing of fuel with air. The poor Combustion, higher viscosity, higher emission of NOx , low break thermal efficiency of biodiesel, the high cost of production are the main impediment in the preferment of the use of bio-diesel. To mitigate the problem of use of biodiesel blending of higher alcohol in biodiesel may offer a potential solution. Hence in this study Jatropha biodiesel has been blended with n-butanol and n-octanol alcohol by volume 10%, 20%, and 30%. i.e. JME90B10, JME80B20, JME70B30, JME90O10, JME80O20, JME70O30 and evaluate the physicochemical properties i.e. Kinematic viscosity, calorific value, cetane index, cold flow property and oxygen stability as per ASTM standard and compare with diesel and biodiesel. However, blends have a higher viscosity than diesel. But this fuel is bio-degradable in nature, help to diminish carbon footprint and has low emission outlines as compared to petroleum diesel. Usage of a combination of bio-fuel will allow a balance to be sought between agriculture, industrialization, transportation and the environment. GC-MS analysis of JME show 29.64% saturated acid and 69.25% of mono unsaturated acid. The properties of biodiesel depend upon the variation of acid percentage. Overall property of blend comparable with fossil diesel it may substitute the diesel.

Enhancement of cold flow property of coconut oil by alkali esterification process and development of a bio-lubricant oil

The low cold flow property of the coconut oil restricts its tribological applications as a lubricant. The flow property at low temperature was improved by removing the glycerol molecules from the oil thereby converting the fatty acids into esters by the process of alkali esterification. Free movement of these fatty acid esters have improved the cold flow properties of the oil from 26.8 ℃ to −4.5 ℃, but have an inverse effect of reduction on the tribological properties when compared to crude coconut oil. Additives such as tricresyl phosphate, oleic acid, and ethylene vinyl acetate were used to improve the anti-wear, anti-friction properties, and viscosity, respectively. The combined action of the additives have further improved the flow property to −6.9 ℃ and other tribological properties such as coefficient of friction and wear was reduced up to 12.8% and 2.3% respectively when compared to commercial two-stroke engine oil. Environmental hazards due to the exposure of newly formulated two-stroke engine oil were studied using bacteria ( B cereus and E coli). These results establish that the newly formulated oil is nontoxic and have comparable tribological properties to that of commercial two-stroke engine oil.