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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Bio-oils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #415568
Research Project: Development of New Value-Added Processes and Products from Advancing Oilseed Crops

Location: Bio-oils Research

Title: Fuel properties of high oleic pennycress oil derived biodiesel and its blends with ultra-low-sulfur diesel

Author
item Winfield, Demichael
item Dunn, Robert
item MARKS, M - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/4/2025
Publication Date: 6/13/2025
Citation: Winfield, D.D., Dunn, R.O., Marks, M.D. 2025. Fuel properties of high oleic pennycress oil derived biodiesel and its blends with ultra-low-sulfur diesel. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. https://doi.org/10.1002/aocs.12968.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aocs.12968

Interpretive Summary: Field pennycress is a winter annual that can be used as a cover crop in the midwestern United States. Ideally, a cover crop both protects the soil and can be harvested for use. Field pennycress has been utilized for biodiesel this way. In this work, we evaluated biodiesel from a new variety of pennycress called high oleic pennycress (HOP). Biodiesel produced from HOP exhibited excellent fuel properties compared to biodiesel produced from other crops. The HOP biodiesel was also used in blends with conventional diesel, and improved the fuel properties but reduced thermal stability. HOP could be of interest as a bio-based source for fuels for farmers in the Midwest.

Technical Abstract: Field Pennycress is an emerging crop for nonedible seed oil. In the Midwestern United States, it can be employed as a cover crop between corn and soybean seasons. This makes it an attractive feedstock for producing biodiesel without interfering with commodity food crops. Classical mutagenesis has been applied to develop different varieties of pennycress with desirable properties for biodiesel. In this study, we evaluated the fuel properties of biodiesel produced from the seed oil of a new pennycress variety, high oleic pennycress (HOP). HOP biodiesel exhibited cold flow properties superior to those of biodiesel derived from other pennycress varieties and vegetable oils, with cloud point, pour point, and cold filter plug points of -19.7°C, -21°C, and -15.7°C respectively. The oxidative stability of the biodiesel was poor, with an induction period at 110°C of 0.46'h, indicating that additives would be needed for commercial use. Kinematic viscosity at 40°C was 4.113'mm2's-1, meeting both the ASTM and EN biodiesel standard. The biodiesel had an average wear scar of 188'µm, demonstrating good lubrication properties. The efficacy of HOP biodiesel as an additive for ultra-low sulfur diesel was also evaluated. Loadings of 2% and 5% biodiesel were effective in terms of improving lubricity while maintaining sufficient oxidative stability. This work demonstrates the potential of HOP as a valuable wintertime oil seed crop for producing biodiesel in the Midwestern United States.