Exploring solketal levulinate as a promising biodiesel cold flow improver agent Nik Siti Mariam Nek Mat Din , Seng Soi Hoong Advanced Oleochemical Technology, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysia Solketal levulinate ester (SoLE) as a potential cold flow improver (palm biodiesel fuel additive) is presented. SoLE was added to palm biodiesel, and several crucial palm biodiesel characteristics were evaluated. SoLE was obtained through the reaction of solketal with methyl levulinate catalysed by a base catalyst as reported in our previous study. SoLE was mixed with palm biodiesel at levels of 0.5%, 1%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. The effects on pour point, cloud points and other related properties were measured. The blending of palm biodiesel with SoLE at 15 – 20% percentages showed promising effects by improving the pour point of palm biodiesel between 2 o C and 5 o C, however, when an economic point of view was taken into consideration, 15% was recommended. Similarly, the cloud point of palm biodiesel blended with SoLE at the same percentage addition also showed a reduction between 3 o C to 6 o C. Density of palm biodiesel when blended with 15% SoLE has been shown to conform to the standard EN ISO 12185 with the reading obtained is 899.1 kgm -1 . Kinematic viscosity values were also found to exhibit viscosity within the standard range for the kinematic viscosity of palm biodiesel, which is must be in the range of 3.5 to 5 mm 2 s -1 . Palm biodiesel blended with SoLE 15% addition showed a very positive and promising effect, especially on improving the palm-biodiesel cold flow characteristics. References 1. Ali, O; Yusaf, T; Mamat, R; Abdullah, N and Abdullah, A (2014). Influence of chemical blends on palm oil methyl esters’ cold flow properties and fuel characteristics. Energies, 7: 4364-4380. 2. Alptekin, E and Canakci, M (2008). Determination of the density and the viscosities of biodiesel-diesel fuel blends. Renew. Energy, 33: 2623-2630. 3. Ayetor, G K; Sunnu, A and Parbey, J (2015). Effect of biodiesel production parameters on viscosity and yield of methyl esters: Jatropha curcas, Elaeis guineensis and Cocos nucifera. Alex. Eng. J., 54: 1285- 1290. 4. Çakmak, A and Özcan, H (2020). Biofuel additive production from glycerol and determination of its effect on some fuel properties. SN Appl. Sci., 2: 1637. 5. Cornejo, A; Barrio, I; Campoy, M; Lázaro, J and Navarrete, B (2017). Oxygenated fuel additives from glycerol valorization. Main production pathways and effects on fuel properties and engine performance: A critical review. Renew. Sust. Energ Rev., 79: 1400-1413. 6. Min, H Y; Amran, N A and Samsuri, S (2019). 7. Winterization Of Biodiesel Through Progressive Freezing For Cold Flow Properties Improvement. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, IOP Publishing, 012096. 8. Muniz, A S; Vlnieska, V; Ferraz, F A; dos Santos Oliveira, A R; Ramos, L P and César-Oliveira, M A F (2019). Polymer additives as cold flow improvers for palm oil methyl esters. Macromol. Symp., 383: 1800026. 9. Neamtu, C; Plesu, V and Stepan, E (2019). Synthesis of new acetals and ketals of glycerol as diesel additives. Rev. Chim., 81(2): 83-94.
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