Diesel fuels ethanol suitability

A microemulsion fuel suitable for use in diesel engines has been prepared from diesel fuel, ethanol, traces of water and cationic surfactants as emulsifiers, plus other additives [94]. Suitable cationic surfactants are alkyl polyamines and their alkoxylates. The fuels benefit from improved lubricity. 

Vegetable oils have also been considered in applications as fuels and attempts to maintain solutions of triacylglycerol oils at low temperatures have also been attempted. Blends of vegetable oil and lower alcohols have suitable viscosity for use in fuels, but they separate into two phases as temperature is lowered (62). Higher molecular weight alcohols can be used to lower the temperature of phase separation. In a soy oil number 2 diesel blend with ethanol, phase separation was deferred to 16°C whereas the cold filter plugging point was lowered to 24°C. 

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