Properties of rapeseed oil for use as a diesel fuel extender

K. McDonnell, S. Ward, J. J. Leahy, P. McNulty

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Chemical and thermal analyses were carried out on degummed and filtered (5 μm) rapeseed oil (referred to as SRO, i.e., semirefined rapeseed oil) to determine its suitability as a diesel fuel extender. The upper rate for inclusion of SRO with diesel fuel is 25%. This fuel blend had a phosphorus level of 2.5 ppm, which was comparable to rape methyl esters (1.0 ppm phosphorus). Thermogravimetric analyses were used to estimate the cetane ratings of the fuels. A 25% SRO/diesel blend had an estimated cetane index of 32.4 compared to 38.1 for diesel fuel only. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermo-gravimetric analyses were used to compare the volatility ranges of the fuels. SRO needed higher temperatures for volatilization (i.e., 70-260 °C for diesel fuel vs. 280-520 °C for SRO). This indicated poorer cold-starting performance of SRO compared with diesel fuel. SRO fuel is a low-sulfur, high-oxygen fuel giving SRO a more favorable emissions profile than pure diesel fuel.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)539-543
Number of pages5
JournalJAOCS, Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Volume76
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1999

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