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Title: Effects on Fuel Properties of Various Biodiesel Components

Author
item Knothe, Gerhard

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2007
Publication Date: 11/5/2007
Citation: Knothe, G.H. 2007. Effects on Fuel Properties of Various Biodiesel Components [abstract]. International Congress on Biodiesel: The Science and the Technologies.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Biodiesel is generally defined as the mono-alkyl esters of vegetable oils or animal fats. As a result, the fatty acid composition of biodiesel corresponds to that of the parent oil or fat. Besides the fatty esters as the major components of biodiesel, minor components such as free fatty acids as well as mono-, di-, and triacylglycerols are also present. While most properties are largely influenced by the major components, in some cases the minor components possess significant effects. A factor complicating the influence of the various components is that some components may have beneficial effects on one property while exhibiting disadvantageous influence on another. Important fuel properties that are influenced by the various components are cetane number, exhaust emissions, viscosity, cold flow, oxidative stability and lubricity. Structural factors of fatty compounds influencing these properties include degree of unsaturation, chain length and presence of OH groups.