Cold flow properties for blends of biofuels with diesel and jet fuels

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 117; pp. 544 - 551
• Main Authors: Lown, Anne L., Peereboom, Lars, Mueller, Sherry A., Anderson, James E., Miller, Dennis J., Lira, Carl T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biofuel; Blends; Cloud point; Cold filter plugging point; Diesel; Diesel fuels; Diesters; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Esters; Ethers; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Functional groups; Jet fuel; Melting points; Cloud point; Cold filter plugging point; Biofuel; Diesel; Jet fuel; Diesel fuel; Filter
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2013.09.067

•We report cloud point temperatures of diesel, jet fuel, and biofuel mixtures.•Compound classes included alkanes, ethers, ketones, esters, and diesters.•Cloud point depression depends on functional groups present.•Trends are apparent based on the oxygen content of the added compound.•Diesters display liquid–liquid phase behavior above the solidification temperatures.
Twelve potential biofuel compounds were tested in mixtures with three diesel fuels and one jet fuel to determine the effects of different functional groups on low temperature properties. Functional groups evaluated include diesters, esters, ketones, and ethers; alkanes were used for comparison. The length of the hydrocarbon chains on either side of the oxygen-containing functional groups and branching were varied. Some test compounds are not anticipated to be commercial biofuels, but were compared to understand the effect of functional groups on cold flow behavior.
Trends were observed relating to the compound class or oxygen-containing functional group present in the compound. Generally, alkanes, ethers, esters, and ketones with a low melting point temperature decreased the cloud point temperature of a fuel. Adding diesters resulted in low temperature liquid–liquid immiscibility. Multiple methods were used to confirm the presence of two liquid phases with diesters, including cold filter plugging point measurements. These general behaviors are independent of chain length and branching, as long as the melting point temperature of the compound is not significantly higher than the cloud point temperature of the fuel.