M. Tech. Mechanical Engineering. / Biodiesel, produced from the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats with simple alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, is well positioned to replace petroleum-based diesel. Biodiesel is a non-toxic, biodegradable and renewable fuel. Despite its advantages, the chemical nature of biodiesel makes it more susceptible to oxidation compared to mineral diesel during long-term storage. The production of Croton Oil Methyl Ester (COME), Moringa Oil Methyl Ester (MOME) and Jatropha Oil Methyl Ester (JOME) was therefore carried out. Also, a determination of the fuel related properties and investigation of oxidation stability of the methyl esters produced without and with antioxidants and its blends with mineral diesel were conducted. The results showed that most of the measured fuel related properties of produced methyl esters fulfilled the minimum requirements of EN 14214 and ASTM 6751 biodiesel standards. However, COME and MOME did not meet EN 14214 oxidation stability standards (6 h) while JOME displayed very high oxidation stability (10.43 h) well within specified oxidation stability standards. Overall, the biodiesel derived from non-edible oils of African origin such as COME, MOME and JOME can be utilized as a partial substitute for mineral diesel. This study recommends that PY and PG antioxidants be used for safeguarding biodiesel fuel from the effects of autoxidation during storage.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1000630 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Kivevele, Thomas. |
| Contributors | Mbarawa, M. M. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format |
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