Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
678252 | Biomass and Bioenergy | 2010 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
A study was performed to evaluate the use of thermal cracking to overcome cold flow and stability limitations of current biodiesel. Experiments were conducted in a batch cracking reactor system using soy methyl ester and canola methyl ester feedstocks. The amount of high-MW C16-C24 FAMEs was reduced from nearly 100% in the original feedstock by an order of magnitude. Yields of desirable cracking product ranged from 70 to 85% while cloud and pour points decreased around 20 °C and 15 °C, respectively. The stability of the fuel was improved by converting all of the unsaturated esters into lower-MW saturated esters. This method may lead to an attractive process to produce an improved biodiesel that is more conductive to cold temperature utilization and more stable during storage.
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Authors
Wayne Seames, Yan Luo, Irshad Ahmed, Ted Aulich, Alena Kubátová, Jana Å t'ávová, Evguenii Kozliak,