Publication | Other papers
Quantitation of aging products formed in biodiesel during the Rancimat accelerated oxidation test
Published 2014
Citation: Flitsch S, Neu PM, Schober S, Kienzl N, Ullmann J, Mittelbach M. Quantitation of aging products formed in biodiesel during the Rancimat accelerated oxidation test. Energy and Fuels. 2014;28(9):5849-56.
Abstract
Biodiesel (rapeseed oil methyl ester) was aged in a Rancimat device at a temperature of 110°C and an air flow of 10 L/h. Time-resolved analyses applying gas chromatography-flame ionization detection, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and ion-exchange chromatography on the formation of aging products were performed. Formic and acetic acid, fatty acids with chain lengths from 5 to 18 carbon atoms, fatty acid methyl esters, and epoxides were quantified. After 12 h of aging, the concentrations of formic and acetic acid were 5600 ± 80 and 1360 ± 80 mg/kg, respectively. Fatty acid concentrations were in the range of <18-4200 mg/kg after 18 h of aging. Linoleic acid methyl ester and linolenic acid methyl ester (19 and 9.1 mass % of the non-aged fuel) were shown to be fully decomposed after 24 and 18 h of aging, respectively. After 51 h of aging, the concentration of oleic acid methyl ester (63 mass % of the non-aged fuel) decreased to 2.2 mass % and trans-epoxy stearic acid methyl ester and cis-epoxy stearic acid methyl ester reached concetrations of 5.9 and 0.7 mass %, respectively. The fuel composition shows only minor changes in early stages of aging, and a strong timely correlation of the formation of aging products with the end of the induction period of fuel was observed. © 2014 American Chemical Society.