Improving cold flow property of biodiesel from Irvingia malayana Oliv. ex A. Benn. seeds

Abstract

This research aimed to improve the cold flow property of biodiesel from Irvingia malayana Oliv. ex A. Benn. (IM) seeds by using four synthesized Pour Point Depressant (PPDs) which were methyl laurate (ML), methyl stearate (MS), i-propyl laurate (IPL) and i-propyl stearate (IPS) and five commercial additives which were CD017, Zenith, Flozol 2251D, Flozol 112 and kerosene. Among of these additives, IPL gave the best result on improving cold flow property of biodiesel from IM oil (IMME), at which 500,000 ppm of IPL, cloud point (CP) and pour point (PP) of IMME were reduced by 8.70±1.0°C and 9.0±1.0°C, respectively. In addition, the cold flow property could be effected by the types of hydrocarbon chain. At the same concentration of IPL and ML, the branched chain alcohol gave the best result on improving cold flow property by which the CP and PP of IMME were reduced by 1.55±1.0°C (17.82%) and 4.0±1.0°C (44.44%), respectively. On the other hand, the cold flow property of IMME could not be improved by using MS and IPS because of the molecular weight of MS and IPS were higher than that of IMME. For commercial additives, kerosene gave the best result on reducing CP and PP of IMME.