Canola oil methyl esters

The adequacy of the predicted model here was examined by additional independent experiments at the suggested optimum synthesis conditions. The predicted value was 99.4% molar conversion and the actual experimental value was 97.9%. A chi-square test (p-value = 0.96, degrees of freedom = 5) indicated that observed values were significantly the same as the predicted values and the generated model adequately predicted the percent molar conversion (Ott, 1988). Thus, the optimization of lipase-catalyzed synthesis for biodiesel (canola oil methyl ester) by Novozym 435 was successfully developed by CCRD and RSM. 

Canola oil (low erucic acid rapeseed oil). See Rapeseed (Brassica campestris) oil Canola oil, methyl ester. See Methyl canolate Canola Spray Oil 81-599-C/, Canola Vegetable Frying Shortening 81-573-0, Canola Vegetable Shortening 81-577-0. See Canola oil Cantha Canthaxanthin 10% RVI. See Canthaxanthine... 

Synonyms Alkyl C16-18 methyl esters Canola methyl ester Canola oil, methyl ester Rape oil, methyl ester Rapeseed oil, methyl ester... 

Canola oil, methyl ester See Methyl canolate Canthoxal... 

Parameter Canola oil Methyl ester of canola oil Diesel oil... 

TABLE 25. Some Properties of Palm, Rapeseed Canola, and Soybean Oil Methyl Esters Compared with Diesel Fuel. 

Rape oil, methyl ester. See Methyl canolate Rape oil methyl ester. See Methyl rapeseedate Rapeseed. See Canola oil Rapeseed acid... 

Southern Europe and France use relatively little canola oil. Instead, olive, sunflower, and peanut oils predominate. In the case of France, this is somewhat surprising, because this country is a large producer of canola seeds. But France uses large amounts of canola oil for biodiesel in the form of fatty acid methyl esters. 

Standard canola oil, mainly because of its fatty acid composition, is relatively well suited for biodiesel production. Harrington (145), and Knothe et al. (146) discussed desired properties of fatty acid ester structure for biodiesel. Knothe et al. (146) also discussed biodiesel standards in different countries, for those interested. Briefly, the desired properties of vegetable oil fatty acids for methyl ester biodiesel can be summarized as follows ... 

The desired properties of methyl esters for biodiesel are given in Table 24 (147). These properties are the German biodiesel standard Deutsche Industrie Norm (DIN) V 511605. This standard, as well as other European standards, was developed, especially with canola/rapeseed oil as the starting material in mind. The suggested... 

USA-ASTM standard for 100% pure biodiesel is similar in many respects (146), but it is written for the use of soybean oil as the main starting material. Canola oil for methyl ester production must either be degummed (<20 mg/kg of phosphorus), or in addition, must be alkali refined and bleached, depending on the methyl ester production process requirements (148). 

It can be seen that compared with petroleum diesel fuel, methyl esters (1) have higher density, (2) fall into the lower range of viscosity, (3) have the same or higher cetane numbers, and (4) have lower heating value. Canola methyl esters are in the middle range of properties among the three oils, with low viscosity, good cetane... 

Acute oral toxicity was determined in fasted male and female albino rats to be greater than 5000 mg/kg body weight for both methyl and ethyl esters of canola oil (25). Dermal toxicity was tested on albino rabbits. Applying levels of up to 2000 mg/kg body weight was found to have no observable effect for systemic toxicity (25). The treatment produced only slight and temporary erythrema (redness) and edema (swelling). 

Bio-diesel, an alternative biofuel, is made from a vegetable oil that is extracted from the seeds of plants such as canola (rape plant), cotton, soybean and sunflower. This oil, which is used mostly in the manufacture of margarine, is reacted chemically with methanol to produce a methyl ester that can substitute satisfactorily for diesel fuel. Glycerol is produced as a by-product. Generally, up to 20 vol.% of bio-diesel is mixed with conventional diesel. Again, there is the problem of unfavourable economics. Bio-diesel is not yet fully cost competitive and the overall energetics of production, transport and consumption require careful evaluation. 

In another study, three types of composite materials were obtained from (i) blends of soybean oil-based epoxy with commercial petroleum-based epoxy resin and E-glass fibre, (ii) blends of epoxidised methyl ester derived from canola oil with petroleum-based epoxy resin and E-glass fibre, and (iii) 100% petroleum-based epoxy resin and E-glass fibre. Panels made as in (i) exhibited comparable dynamic stiffness, flexural modulus and flexural stiffness properties to those derived from composite system (iii) However, bio-based samples from process (ii) were less promising. 

Because the R groups may have different numbers of carbons and double bonds, biodiesel is a mixture of different molecules, all of which are methyl esters of fatty acids. Most of the R groups have 12-18 carbons arranged in straight chains. Any kind of vegetable oil can be used to make biodiesel, but the most common ones used are the oils from soybean, canola, and palm. In Experiment 27, biodiesel is made from coconut oil and other vegetable oils. 

Environmental awareness and protection have led to the development of more environmentally benign surfactants. There is a trend of substituting petrochemicals by renewable raw materials. For this reason there is currently much interest in fatty acid-based surfactants. For both fatty alcohol ethoxylates and fatty amide ethoxylates the raw material for the hydrophobic group are triglyceride oils. The triglycerides are present in plants such as rapeseed, coconuts, soya, canola, sunflour, and tallow. Fatty acids, as used for the production of fatty amide ethoxylates, are obtained from saponification of the triglycerides. Fatty alcohols, which are used to produce fatty alchol ethoxylates, need a saponification step to obtain the fatty acid, followed by a reduction, usually via the methyl ester, to obtain the alcohol. 

Vegetable oil functional and nutritional values are dependent on the nature of the different fatty acids present in the oils. In sound oilseeds, fatty acids are found almost exclusive as building blocks of the triacylglycerides with negligible amount of free fatty acids. Fatty acids are analysed by gas chromatography (GC) after being transformed into volatile compounds. Several derivatization methods could be used to prepare these volatile derivatives, however, since almost no free fatty acids are found in sound canola, base catalysed derivatization could be used to prepare the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). The FAMEs are analysed by GC, the relative fatty acid composition is calculated from the sum of all fatty acids (even the unknown) present in the sample. 

Kwon, K., Vahdat, N., et al, 2015. Fatty acid methyl ester biofuels produced from canola oil with honeycomb monolithic catalysts. Fuel 145, 116—126. 

---