Alteration of babassu biodiesel properties through camphor and biodiesel of tung

Babassu oil is extracted from the babassu palm, one of the most important plants in the north and northeast Brazilian regions, and like many biofuels, it does not have adequate properties to be used as pure fuel, especially under low-temperature conditions. Therefore, researches to improve the physical-chemical properties of these biofuels are needed, one of the most common methods is using additives, usually synthetic ones, which are not environmentally friendly. A good alternative would be to try to found natural compounds with this potential. This paper describes the effects of the addition of two natural compounds, tung biodiesel, and camphor, in the physical properties of babassu biodiesel. These additives were select because of their physical-chemical properties, which can potentially improve the babassu biodiesel ones. They were tested separately, the camphor at the 3, 4, 5, 6 % proportions, and the tung biodiesel at 3, 5, 9, 12 %. The results were compared to biodiesel standards, limited by the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP), and for both additives, the 3 % proportion showed the best suited to the quality standards established at the Brazilian normative. Thus, was observed that the camphor and the tung biodiesel has the potential to be efficient additives in babassu biodiesel

Performance of agricultural tractor consuming diesel and biodiesel derived from babassu (Orbinya martiana)

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel to diesel engines. This study aimed to evaluate fuel consumption and smoke density of agricultural tractors fueled by biodiesel, diesel, and biodiesel/diesel mixtures in a tilled field. Treatments consisted of distilled methyl ester (biodiesel) of babassu (Orbinya martiana) and seven combinations of it with two standard diesel fuels (B S1800 and B S50). The blending ratios were 0, 5, 15, 25, 50, and 100% biodiesel in diesel oil (B0, B5, B15, B25, B50, and B100, respectively). Regarding the results for hourly volumetric consumption, no difference was found between B0 and B100 when using B S1800, whereas an 8% increase was observed when using the S50. The weighted hourly consumption increased by 11.29 and 16.9% from B0 to B100 using B S1800 and B S50, respectively. Similarly, the specific fuel consumption increased by 11.1% and 14.3% from B0 to B100 using B S1800 and B S50, respectively. Yet, when comparing B0 and B S1800, the smoke density reduction was 68.6% and between B S50 and B100 was 58.0%. Our findings show that babassu biodiesel is a suitable substitute for diesel oil, without causing any damage to the tractor's engine.