ARS | Publication request: Fatty acid profile as a basis for screening feedstocks for biodiesel production

Submitted to: Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 4, 2010
Publication Date: May 1, 2011
Citation: Moser, B.R., Vaughn, S.F. 2011. Fatty acid profile as a basis for screening feedstocks for biodiesel production {abstract}. Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society. p. 75.

Technical Abstract: Fatty acid (FA) profile was used as a screening tool for the selection of feedstocks high in monounsaturated content for evaluation as biodiesel. The feedstocks were ailanthus (Ailanthus altissima), anise (Pimpinella anisum), arugula (Eruca vesicaria), camelina (Camelina sativa), coriander (Coriandrum sativum), cress (Lepidium sativum), cumin (Cuminum cyminum), field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), hazelnut (genus Corylus), Indian cress (Tropaedum majus), meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba), shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), upland cress (Barbarea verna), and walnut (genus Juglans). Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were prepared from feedstocks with monounsaturated FA contents in excess of approximately 60%. Anise (64.4% monounsaturated FAs), arugula (69.8%), coriander (77.4%), field pennycress (55.6%), meadowfoam (76.7%), upland cress (64.8%), and hazelnut (79.0%) oils were selected based on their FA profiles. Camelina and walnut oils were selected as antagonists to the FA profile tool, as they had polyunsaturated FAME contents of 54.3% and 89.4%. The following properties were measured: oxidative stability, cold flow, viscosity, energy content, specific gravity, iodine value, acid value, glycerol content, and cetane number, as well as sulfur and phosphorous content. This work summarizes those results and comments on the utility of the FA profile as a screening device for feedstock selection.