ARS | Publication request: Complementary blending of meadowfoam seed oil methyl esters with biodiesel prepared from soybean and waste cooking oils to enhance fuel properties

Submitted to: Energy and Environmental Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 25, 2011
Publication Date: April 20, 2011
Citation: Moser, B.R. 2011. Complementary blending of meadowfoam seed oil methyl esters with biodiesel prepared from soybean and waste cooking oils to enhance fuel properties. Energy and Environmental Science. 4:2160-2167.

Interpretive Summary: This research reveals that biodiesel prepared from meadowfoam oil improves the fuel properties of soybean and used cooking oil-based biodiesel fuels. The objective of this study was to improve the oxidative stability of soybean and used cooking oil-based biodiesel fuels through blending with meadowfoam oil-based biodiesel. Soybean and used cooking oil-based biodiesel fuels were considerably more resistant to unwanted oxidative degradation after blending with meadowfoam oil-based biodiesel. This result is significant because one of the technical disadvantages of biodiesel versus normal diesel fuel is poor oxidative stability. These results will be important to biodiesel producers, distributors and end-users (customers) because a new biodiesel fuel blend was described that exhibits favorable fuel properties. This research may ultimately improve market penetration, availability and public perception of domestically produced agricultural fuels, such as biodiesel, thus affording greater national independence from imported petroleum-based fuels.

Technical Abstract: The complementary blending of meadowfoam seed oil methyl esters (MFME) with soybean and waste cooking oil methyl esters (SME and WCME) was investigated. MFME prepared from cold-pressed meadowfoam oil exhibited an exceptionally high induction period (IP) of 66.2 h whereas SME and WCME yielded considerably lower values of 5.9 and 4.5 h, respectively. The kinematic viscosities (KVs) of SME and WCME were within the prescribed ranges in the biodiesel standards (ASTM D6751 and EN 14214) but MFME was not due to its content of unique longer-chain fatty acids. Furthermore, the iodine value (IV) of SME was in excess of the maximum limit specified in EN 14214 whereas MFME and WCME were not. Lastly, the cold flow properties of MFME were superior to those of SME and WCME. Complementary blends of MFME-SME and MFME-WCME ameliorated deficiencies of the individual fuels. Blends containing 20-30 vol % MFME in WCME provided IPs, KVs and IVs within the limits prescribed in both ASTM D6751 and EN 14214. With respect to MFME-SME blends, those containing 30-50% MFME complied with the specifications of both biodiesel standards. In addition, highly linear correlations between percentage of MFME and fuel properties were established. Furthermore, the influence of storage for 90 days on fuel properties of the blends was determined.