Influence of Blending Canola, Palm, Soybean, and Sunflower Oil Methyl Esters on Fuel Properties of Biodiesel

Single, binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures of canola (low erucic acid rapeseed), palm, soybean, and sunflower (high oleic acid) oil methyl esters (CME, PME, SME, and SFME, respectively) were prepared, and important fuel properties were measured, such as oil stability index (OSI), cold filter plugging point (CFPP), cloud point (CP), pour point (PP), kinematic viscosity (40 degrees C), lubricity, acid value (AV), and iodine value (IV). The fuel properties of SME were improved through blending with CME, PME, and SFME to satisfy the IV ( < 120) and OSI (> 6 h) specifications contained within EN 14214, the biodiesel standard from the European Committee for Standardization. SME was satisfactory according to ASTM D6751, the American biodiesel standard, with regard to OSI (> 3 h). The CFPP of PME was improved by up to 15 degrees C through blending with CME. Statistically significant relationships were elucidated between OSI and IV, OSI and saturated fatty acid methyl ester (SFAME) content, OSI and CFPP, CFPP and IV, and CFPP and SFAME content. However, the only relationship of practical significance was that of CFPP versus SFAME content when SFAME content was greater than 12 wt %.