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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #109529

Title: RELATION OF SOME OIL AND FAT INDICES TO BIODIESEL

Author
item Knothe, Gerhard

Submitted to: American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel obtained from vegetable oils or animal fats through a transesterification reaction. Therefore, it consists of fatty compounds whose properties are often described by results of methods, terms, indices, and parameters commonly used in fatty acid chemistry. Among these are the iodine value, a fat index introduced more than 100 years ago. It has been applied to technical issues facing biodiesel such as cold flow, engine deposits, and oxidative stability. Here the application of the iodine value to biodiesel is investigated in greater detail. Results from Oxidative Stability Index (OSI; a rapid method for assessing the oxidative stability of fatty compounds) studies are applied in the course of this work. Individual compounds and their mixtures were examined for their contribution to OSI and iodine value. The results indicate that likely a more specific fat index, applicable to biodiesel, can be developed.