A review on the oxidation stability of biodiesel

Biodiesel consists of fatty acid monoalkyl esters and is derived from feedstocks, such as vegetable oils, used cooking oils and animal fats. Biodiesel is considered to be a promising alternative biofuel. Recently, biodiesel has received additional attention and intense research has been performed in this field all over the world due to its lower environmental impact compared to the conventional diesel fuels. The central drawback of biodiesel is its susceptible nature to oxidation due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acid portion in the ester. Oxidative degradation occurs in biodiesel on aerobic contact during storage as well as with metal contaminants. Antioxidants are very effective for the eradication of those oxidation stability problems. This article presents an overview of the factors affecting the oxidation stability of biodiesel and the methods available for the prediction of oxidation stability. The effect of antioxidants in preventing the oxidation of biodiesel is also discussed.