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Cold flow properties of biodiesel and effect of commercial additives

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Paper number  056121,  2005 ASAE Annual Meeting . @2005
Authors:   D. S. Shrestha, J. Van Gerpen, J. Thompson, A. Zawadzki
Keywords:   Biofuel, Fuel additives, Biodiesel blend, pour point, CP

One of the major reasons hindering widespread use of biodiesel is its higher filter plugging temperature than regular diesel fuel. Cloud point (CP) and pour point (PP) temperature are shown to be well correlated with filter plugging point which primarily determines the operability of a diesel engine. Many biodiesel fuel additives are available in the market claiming to reduce cloud point and pour point. Biodiesel from different feedstocks at different blend levels were tested for cloud and pour point with various fuel additives readily available in the market at 100, 200 and 300% of the specified loading rate. Although reduction in both CP and pour points were significant, the magnitudes of reduction were not equal. Average reduction in cloud point temperature was 2.3°C whereas average reduction in pour point was 14.1°C. It was observes that mustard ethyl ester (MEE) responded best for fuel additives followed by mustard methyl ester (MME) for both cloud and pour point. B20 blend level responded the least for reduction in cloud point temperature but response for pour point reduction was found to be the highest. It was concluded that right choice of fuel additive depends both on feedstock and biodiesel blend level. In general higher percentage loading of fuel additive lower the cloud and pour point more up to 200% of loading of specified concentration but the effect was not significant after 200%. Therefore fuel additive loading of more than 200% of specified level was not recommended.

 

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