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Effects of Monoacylglycerols on Kinematic Viscosity and Cold Filter Plugging Point of Biodiesel
Author(s) -
Dunn Robert O.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of the american oil chemists' society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1558-9331
pISSN - 0003-021X
DOI - 10.1007/s11746-013-2342-9
Subject(s) - biodiesel , methanol , transesterification , chemistry , pour point , solubility , acid value , viscosity , ethanol , cloud point , materials science , organic chemistry , chromatography , chemical engineering , aqueous solution , catalysis , biochemistry , composite material , engineering
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel composed of mono‐alkyl fatty acid esters made from the transesterification of plant oils or animal fats with methanol or ethanol. After conversion, biodiesel may contain trace concentrations of unconverted monoacylglycerols (MAG). These MAG have low solubility in biodiesel and may form solid residues when stored at cold temperatures. The present study evaluates the measurement of kinematic viscosity ( ν ) and cold filter plugging point (CFPP)‐time to filter (Δ t ) as parameters that predict the temperature where small concentrations of MAG may lead to formation of solids or other phase transitions that restrict the flow of soybean oil fatty acid methyl esters (SME) through filters and fuel lines. Mixtures of SME doped with MAG were prepared and ν and Δ t were measured as the temperature decreased from 20 to below 0 °C. Results showed a correlation between ν and Δ t that held for neat SME (SME without added MAG) and SME‐MAG mixtures as the temperature decreased to the threshold temperature ( T th ). Sharp increases in Δ t disrupted the correlation as temperature decreased below T th . Furthermore, T th generally increased as added MAG concentration increased in the mixtures.