Blending Study of Palm Oil Methyl Esters With Jatropha Oil Methyl Esters to Improve Fuel Properties

Umer Rashid; Suzana Yusup; Taiwo Gbemisola Taiwo Gbemisola Taiwo; Murni Melati Ahmad

Authors

Umer Rashid Institute of Advanced Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia Author
Suzana Yusup Chemical Engineering Department, UniversitiTeknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia Author
Taiwo Gbemisola Taiwo Chemical Engineering Department, UniversitiTeknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia Author
Murni Melati Ahmad Chemical Engineering Department, UniversitiTeknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia Author

Keywords:

Palm oil, Jatropha oil, Gas chromatography, Induction period, Cold ow properties

Abstract

Palm oil methyl esters (POMEs) showed high induction period (IP) of 21.15 h whereas Jatropha oil methyl esters (JOMEs) exhibited significantly lower value of 4.6 h. The IP of JOMEs was improved during the blending with POMEs. Gas Chromatography (GC) analysis of blended biodiesel indicated the reduction in saturated fatty acids and increase in unsaturated fatty acids as compared to pure POMEs. Due to reduction in saturated fatty acids of blended biodiesel, a significant improvement was observed in the cold ow properties. Moreover, important fuel properties i.e. kinematic viscosity, water content, density and acid values of POMEs and JOMEs and their blends were determined. All the tested fuel properties were within the speci ed permissible limits of biodiesel standards (ASTM D6751 and EN 14214).

Palm oil; Jatropha oil; Gas chromatography; Induction period; Cold ow properties