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Factors Affecting the Cold Flow Behaviour of Biodiesel and Methods for Improvement – A Review

Odeigah Edith

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, Volume 20, Issue 1, January 2012

Keywords: Biodiesel, cold flow properties, pour point, cloud point, cold filter plugging point and low temperature filterability test

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Biodiesel is an attractive renewable energy source, which is suitable as a substitute to the non-renewablepetroleum diesel. However, it is plagued by its relatively bad cold flow behaviour. In this review, the factorsaffecting the cold flow of biodiesel, vis-ŕ-vis the contradicting requirement of good cold flow and good ignitionproperties, are discussed. Fuel filter plugging, and crystallization of biodiesel are considered, together with thecold flow properties such as Pour Point (PP), Cloud Point (CP), Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP) and LowTemperature Filterability Test (LTFT). In addition, various methods used to improve the cold flow of biodieselare also presented, with a special emphasis laid on the effects of these methods in reducing the Cloud Point.Strategies to improve cold flow, and yet maintaining the good ignition quality of biodiesel, are also proposed.As far as the cold flow of biodiesel is concerned, desirable attributes of its esters are short, unsaturated andbranched carbon chains. However, these desirable attributes present opposing properties in terms of ignitionquality and oxidation stability. This is because esters with short, unsaturated and branched carbon chainspossess very good cold flow but poor ignition quality and oxidation stability. The target is therefore to producebiodiesel with good cold flow, sufficient ignition quality, and good oxidation stability. This target proves tobe quite difficult and is a major problem in biodiesel research. New frontiers in this research might be thedesign of the new cold flow improvers that is similar to those used in the petroleum diesel but is tailored forbiodiesel. Genetic modifications of the existing feedstock are also desirable but the food uses of this particularfeedstock should always be taken into consideration.

ISSN 1511-3701

e-ISSN 2231-8542

Article ID

JST-0219-2010

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