Canola Derived Biodiesel as Blending Agent for Petroleum Based Fuels
Date
2014-03-09
Authors
Vo, Phung Kim
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Abstract
The fuel industry has been under significant pressures due to economic and environmental concerns. Finding cleaner and safer alternative fuel source was put in high demand. Biodiesel has been the most favorable source in the biofuel field for a while, and soybean has been the leading feedstock for making biodiesel. There are also other types of oil such as corn, palm, peanut or canola oil for making either 100% biodiesel (B100) or biodiesel blending stock for petroleum based fuels. Canola oil when crushed out will give up to 44% of oil content, the highest oil content among other types of the agricultural oil while soybean has about 20% and corn has 5% of oil content respectively. Because of its properties such as high flash point, lower cloud point and the stability in cold-weather region, and flexible crop season in fall and spring, canola oil methyl ester, derived product of canola oil esterification, was taken into research in which it was subjected to conditions that mimic the petroleum refining process (delayed coking). Four tubes of canola oil ME went through pyrolysis process (90 psi and 400oC) in different time interval: 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes. Result from GC/MS showed the presence of FAMEs such as palmitic, oleic, elaidic, and stearic acid methyl ester. In GC of 90-minute interval, all FAMEs except stearic acid methyl ester were replaced by hexadecane peaks (C16H34). The total area percentage of all hexadecane peak in GC of 90-minute is 32.27 %.
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Keywords
Fuel stability, Pyrolysis, Biodiesel, Blending agent, Canola oil