Biodiesel lubricity property

Biodiesel methyl esters blend quite easily into petroleum based conventional diesel fuel. Biodiesel esters typically have better lubricity properties and higher cetane number ratings than conventional diesel fuel, but have poorer water demulsibility and color stability properties. At sub-zero temperatures, the handling characteristics of biodiesel becomes more difficult to control than conventional diesel fuel. 

These fatty acids and oils, as well as their derivatives, are applied in a broad range of products such as surfactants, lubricants and coatings, and, obviously, biodiesel. Upon epoxidation of the double bonds of the unsaturated fatty acids, very important compounds for the polymer industry are produced, which are used as plasticizers and stabilizers for a broad range of polymers such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyesters, and polyurethanes [71]. Another interesting application has been found in the conversion of epoxidized soybean oil to carbonated soybean oil that can be reacted with ethylene diamine to obtain a polyurethane with interesting properties [72], Traditionally, stoichiometric reagents are used for the epoxidation of these oils and fats, albeit in some cases, with limited results. Therefore, the MTO/H2O2 system has been explored to epoxidize unsaturated fatty acids and oils. 

Waynick, J. A. 1997. Evaluation of the Stability, Lubricity, and Cold Flow Properties of Biodiesel Fuel. In Proc., 6th International Conference on Stability and Handling of Liquid Fuels. Atlanta GA IASH. 

Castor oil is also used as a lubricant in engines. This makes use of another of its exceptional properties its viscosity does not change much as the temperature is raised. Attempts to use castor oil in biodiesel were reported in Africa where the plant is cultivated for this purpose. As castor beans are not consumed directly by people, this practice does not cause food prices to rise. 

Lang, X., Dalai, A.K., Reaney, M.J. and Hertz, P.B. 2001b. Biodiesel esters as lubricity additives Effects of process variables and evaluation of low-temperature properties. Fuels Int. 1-3 207-227. 

The properties of a biodiesel fuel that are determined by the structure of its component fatty esters include ignition quality, cold flow, oxidative stability, viscosity, and lubricity. The present work discusses the influence of the structure of fatty esters on these properties. Not all of these properties have been included in biodiesel standards, although all of them are essential to the proper functioning of the fuel. This article begins, however, with brief summaries on the historical background, production, and analysis of biodiesel. 

The commonly apphed procedure for lubricity testing of petrodiesel and biodiesel is the high-frequency reciprocating rig as described in standards such as ASTM D6079 or ISO 12156. Lubricity has not been included in biodiesel standards despite the favorable behavior of biodiesel versus petrodiesel with respect to this fuel property. 

Finally, biolubricants based on canola biodiesel have the potential to substitute petroleum-based automotive lubricants thus they present low cloud and pour point properties, good friction and antiwear properties, low phase transition temperature, and low viscosity (Sharma et al., 2015). 

Biodiesel is a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) which are produced from a broad range of crude oil materials, such as vegetable oil, animal fats, and waste oil, via transesterification of triglycerides with methanol or ethanol. Biodiesel has been regarded as a promising fuel to be able to partly substitute for conventional fossil diesel since it is obtained from renewable sources and for their environmental friendly properties like biodegradability and very low toxicity, lower perticulate emissions and increased lubricity and provides a means to recycle CO2 (Kim Dale, 2005, Ryan et al., 2006). 

---