Technical Aspects of Biodiesel and its Oxidation Stability

Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative renewable fuel made from natural renewable sources. It is defined as mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, which conform to ASTM specifications for use in diesel engines. Biodiesel present a very promising alternative fuel to diesel oil and properties of this oil offer the advantage of immediate substitution in existing diesel engines with little or no modifications at all. But one of the major technical problems associated with the biodiesel is its susceptibility to oxidation, which can cause the fuel to become acidic and to form insoluble gums and sediments that can plug fuel filters. This is due to the unsaturated fatty acid chains and the presence of the double bond in the molecule, which produce a high level of reactivity with the oxygen, especially when it placed in contact with air. The oxidation of fatty acid chains is a complex process that proceeds by a variety of mechanisms. The various other factors influence the oxidation process of biodiesel includes light, temperature, extraneous materials, peroxides, size of the surface area between biodiesel and air. One of the methods of improving biodiesel oxidative stability includes the deliberate addition of antioxidants or modification of the fatty ester profile. This article discusses the technical aspects of biodiesel and its oxidation stability.