Biodiesel: The green Fuel

Prepared By / Hosam Hasan Abdelhady

Introduction:
It is well known that transport is almost totally dependent on fossil particularly petroleum
based fuels such as gasoline, diesel fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and natural gas
(NG).
Experts suggest that current oil and gas reserves would suffice to last only a few
more decades. To exceed the rising energy demand and reducing petroleum reserves,
fuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol, are in the forefront of the alternative technologies.
Accordingly, the viable alternative for compression-ignition engines is biodiesel

What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a renewable alternative liquid biofuel obtained by chemical processes called
transesterification from vegetable oils (edible or non-edible) or animal fats and an alcohol
that can be used in diesel engines, alone or blended with diesel oil.This process
chemically alters the properties of the feedstock to produce a less viscous, cleaner burning
monoalkylester called Biodiesel
Biodiesel fuel meeting strict technical fuel quality and engine performance specifications
such as AmericanSociety for Testing and Materials ASTM can be used in existing diesel
engines without modification and is covered by all major engine manufacturers warranties,
Biodiesel is the pure, or 100%, biodiesel fuel. It is referred to as B100 or neatfuel. A
biodiesel blend is pure biodiesel blended with petrodiesel. Biodiesel blends are referred to as
BXX. The XX indicates the amount of biodiesel the blend (i.e., a B80 blend is 80% biodiesel
and 20% petrodiesel).

Why we dont use oil or fats directly?

The major problem that restrict the use of oil itself as a fuel is its high viscosity which
may be solved by one of the following method So Different methods have been
developed to reduce the viscosity of vegetable oils such as:

1.

Dilution (Crude vegetable oils can be blended directly or diluted with diesel
fuel to improve their viscosity.)

2.

Micro-emulsification.(forming micro emulsion of Oil, aqueous phase and

surfactant)

3.

Pyrolysis (Method of conversion of one substance into another by application of

heat with the aid of the catalyst in the absence of air or oxygen)

4.

Transesterification.

Transesterification
Also called alcoholysis, transesterification is a chemical reaction in which
animal fats or vegetable oils react with alcohol (most probably methanol) in the
presence of catalyst to produce alkyl esters (Biodiesel) or FAME and glycerol.
It involves a sequence of three consecutive reversible reactions where triglycerides(TGs)
are converted to diglycerides (DGs) and then DGs are converted to monoglycerides (MGs)
followed by the conversion of MGs to glycerol. In each step an ester is produced and thus
three ester molecules are produced from one molecule of TG.

Oil

Alcohol

Biodiesel

Glycerol

Figure 1: Transesterification of triglycerides with alcohol.

Factors affecting transesterification:

1. Type of catalyst.
2. Alcohol/oil molar ratio.
3. Temperature and purity of reactants.
4. Presence of water and FFA, for their negative effects like soap formation,
consumption of catalyst and decreasing its effectiveness thus, getting low conversion.
The overall economy of biodiesel production depends mainly on two crucial factors:
(i)
(ii)

feedstock
catalyst (determines the no of steps and synthesis route)

There are different types of catalysts that can be used in transesterification process that may
be
1. Homogeneous catalyst : where the catalyst and the reactants are in the same phase
(ex: KOH & H2SO4)
2. Heterogeneous catalyst: where the catalyst and the reactants are in different phases
(ex: CaO or Mixed metal oxides )
3. Enzymatic (ex: Lipase)

Why Biodiesel?
Advantages of the Using of Biodiesel as a replacement for diesel fuel are
1. Biodiesel is a clean burning, renewable fuel obtained from vegetable oils or animal
fats..
2. Biodiesel requires no modification to a diesel engine to be used. It can be used in
conjunction with petrodiesel in any proportion. It is worth noting that while most sites
use the term 'blend', when referring to biodiesel and petrodiesel, no actual blending or
mixing is required as the fuel pump of the vehicle will do that for you.
3. Biodiesel has lower exhaust emissions of contaminants than petrodiesel (CO, PM,
polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes).
4. Lower health risk, due to reduced emissions of carcinogenic substances.
5. Completely biodegradable, making it safer for us to handle and in the event of
spillages and accidents. Minimizing the environmental consequences of biofuel spills..
6. Biodiesel also has a higher flash point, meaning it is less likely to catch fire in the
event of a crash.
7. Biodiesel is a far better lubricant than mineral diesel, meaning much less wear and tear
on your internal components, again extending the life of your engine.
8. No sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions.
9. Higher flash point (100oC minimum).
The engine combustion benefits of the transesterification of the oil are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Lowered viscosity
Complete removal of the glycerides
Lowered boiling point
Lowered flash point
Lowered pour point

Characterization of Biodiesel:
In order for biodiesel to be used commercially as a fuel, the finished biodiesel
must be analyzed using sophisticated analytical equipment to ensure it meets international
standards. The European EN 14214 and the American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) D-6751 standards are the most commonly used. Some of this characteristics are
listed below
1.

Temperature Flow Properties

Low-temperature performance is one of the most important properties for

users of biodiesel and it is mainly indicated by the cloud point (CP), pour point
(PP) and cold filter plugging point (CFPP) of the fuel.

i.

Cloud Point:
The CP is the temperature at which a sample of the fuel starts to appear

cloudy, indicating that wax crystals have begun to form which can clog the fuel
lines and filters in a vehicles fuel system.

ii.

Pour Point:
The PP is defined as the temperature at which the fuel ceases to flow. The

cessation of flow results from an increase in viscosity or from the

crystallization of wax from oil.

iii.

Cold Filter Plugging Point:

The CFPP is the temperature at which a fuel causes a filter to plug due to its
crystallization. The sample is cooled in a glass tube under prescribed
conditions and inspected at intervals of 1 uC. The temperature at which ester
structures crystallize is recorded as the CFPP.

2.Kinematic Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of resistance to flow of a liquid due to internal friction
caused by one part of a fluid moving over another.

A higher viscosity leads to poorer fuel atomization, can cause larger droplet sizes, poorer
vaporization. A low viscosity can result in an excessive wear in injection pumps
and power loss due to pump leakage whereas high viscosity may result in excessive pump
resistance.
3.Flash Point
The flash point is defined as the lowest temperature at which a fuel gives off sufficient
vapors, which when mixed with air will ignites momentarily. The flash point for biodiesel is
used as the mechanism to limit the level of unreacted alcohol remaining in the finished fuel.

4.Cetane Number
Cetane number (CN) is widely used as a diesel fuel quality parameter related to the ignition
delay time and combustion quality. The higher the CN, the better the ignition properties of
the fuel. It is measured by matching against the blends two reference fuels namely n-cetane
and a-methylnaphthalene. High CNs help ensure good cold-start properties and minimize the
formation of white smoke Thus, a high CN is associated with rapid engine starting and
smooth combustion. A low CN causes a deterioration in this behavior and higher exhaust gas
emissions (hydrocarbons and particulates). In general, biodiesel has slightly higher CNs than
fossil diesel. The CN increases with increasing length of both fatty acid chains and ester
groups, while it is inversely related to the number of double bonds.

5.Methanol or Ethanol Content

Methanol or ethanol can cause fuel system corrosion, low lubricity and adverse effects on
injectors due to their high volatilities. Methanol and ethanol are also harmful to some
materials in fuel distribution and vehicle fuel systems. Both methanol and ethanol affect the
flash point of esters.

6.Ester Content
This parameter is an important tool for determining the presence of other substances and in
some cases meeting the legal definition of biodiesel (i.e., monoalkyl esters).

Low ester content values of pure biodiesel samples may originate from inappropriate
reaction conditions or from various minor components within the original oil source. A high
concentration of unsaponifiable matter such as sterols, residual alcohols, partial glycerides
and unseparated glycerol can lead to values below the limit.

7.Acid Number
Acid number or neutralization number is a measure of the amount of free fatty
acids contained in a fresh fuel sample and of free fatty acids and acids from degradation in
aged samples. This test is used to determine the acidic constituents in the biodiesel.

Table 1: summary of Biodiesel properties and instruments used in measurement.

Property

unit

instrument

Methanol content

GC

Viscosity

mm2/s

Viscometer

Specific gravity

Unitless

Pyknometer

Free fatty acid

Potentiometric Titration

Refractive index -

Unitless

Refractometer

Calorific value

J/g

Bomb calorimeter

Flash point

Flash point determination apparatus

Cloud point

Manual or automatic

Pour point

Manual or automatic

Cetane number

Unitless

Using of an Ignition Quality Tester (IQT)

or Using of a Near Infra-Red (NIR)
Analyzer