Oxidative and Storage Stability Studies of Biodiesel Using Commercially Available Antioxidants

The word “antioxidant” has become increasingly popular in modern society as it gains publicity through mass media coverage of its health benefits. The dictionary definition of antioxidant is rather straightforward but a traditional annotation would define antioxidant as “a substance that opposes oxidation or inhibits reactions promoted by oxygen or peroxides, many of these substances (as the tocopherols) being used as preservatives in various products (as in fats, oils, food products, and soaps for retarding the development of rancidity, in gasoline and other petroleum products for retarding gum formation and other undesirable changes, and in rubber for retarding aging)”. A more biologically relevant definition of antioxidants is “synthetic or natural substances added to products to prevent or delay their deterioration by action of oxygen in air [1].