Mitigating crystallization of saturated fames in biodiesel: 1. Lowering crystallization temperatures via addition of metathesized soybean oil

Athira Mohanan, Laziz Bouzidi, Shaojun Li and Suresh S. Narine

Energy, 2016, vol. 96, issue C, 335-345

Abstract: The addition of self-MSBO (metathesized soybean oil) to biodiesel significantly depresses the onset temperature of crystallization (Ton). MSBO and self-MTO (metathesized triolein), used as model systems, were separated into their constituent “molecular families” using column chromatography and crystallization fractionation and tested as crystallization modifiers of biodiesel. The results indicate that cis-unsaturation combined with a straight chain moiety is a critical structural architecture for disrupting biodiesel crystallization. The data obtained with TAGs (triacylglycerols) propose that the most effective stereospecificity is when the two fatty acids in the cis-configuration are in the sn-1 and sn-3 positions and a trans-/saturated fatty acid is at the sn-2 position. The conversion of cis-double bonds to trans-double bonds by self-metathesis explains the lowering of Ton of biodiesel. The fractionation of MSBO, leading to a liquid fraction enriched with molecules having cis-unsaturated fatty acids out-performed MSBO in lowering Ton of biodiesel. This knowledge can be used for the design of economical and more functional materials from MSBO and other metathesized vegetable oils using selective and practical fractionation methods. The findings of the study suggest that the use of biodiesel with significant saturated methyl ester content can be extended in colder months of the year.

Keywords: Biodiesel; FAME (Fatty acid methyl ester); CFI (Cold flow improver) additives; Self-MSBO (metathesized soybean oil); Self-MTO (metathesized triolein); DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544215017387
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:96:y:2016:i:c:p:335-345

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.12.093

Access Statistics for this article

Energy is currently edited by Henrik Lund and Mark J. Kaiser

More articles in Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().