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Title: Optimization of Biodiesel Composition and Comparison to Renewable Diesel

Author
item Knothe, Gerhard

Submitted to: American Oil Chemists' Society Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/13/2008
Publication Date: 10/13/2008
Citation: Knothe, G.H. 2008. Optimization of Biodiesel Composition and Comparison to Renewable Diesel [abstract]. American Oil Chemists' Society Industrial Applications of Renewable Resources Conference on Biobased Technologies, Cincinnati, OH.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Biodiesel, defined as the mono-alkyl esters of vegetable oils or animal fats, is technically competitive with petrodiesel fuel. Biodiesel is obtained from an oil or fat by means of a transesterification reaction with glycerol as a co-product. Problems when using biodiesel include oxidative stability, improvement of cold flow properties and reduction of nitrogen oxides exhaust emissions. However, an optimized fatty ester composition of biodiesel can address these issues simultaneously. Fatty esters with advantageous properties include not only esters on oleic acid but also those of palmitoleic acid and decanoic acid, with esters of the latter two acids being superior to those of oleic acid in some aspects. Besides biodiesel, renewable diesel, which can be derived from a variety of biological sources, has recently attained significance. Renewable diesel is obtained by a different process than biodiesel, employing hydrogen, higher temperatures and pressure. The composition of renewable diesel simulates that of petrodiesel. A brief comparison of biodiesel and renewable diesel is presented.