The Effects of Triacetin and Glycerol Carbonate on Biodiesel Cloud Point

Biodiesel is a fuel that contains fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and is a renewable fuel created from different feedstocks like plant-derived oils and animal fats. This alternative fuel can be used in many of the same settings as regular diesel fuel. However, one of the major issues with using biodiesel is its poor cold-flow properties. The main cold-flow property to be studied is the cloud point (CP), the point at which the fuel starts to crystallize. The purpose of this work is to analyze the effects of two different additives, triacetin and glycerol carbonate (GC), and determine if the additives have a positive effect on a model fuel system containing one or two FAMEs. These additives are of interest because they are both byproducts of an alternative biodiesel reaction mechanism as opposed to the common method of reacting the FAMEs with methanol. Triacetin was found to depress the cloud point while glycerol carbonate has no effect on the cloud point of the FAMEs. Analysis also showed that most triacetin systems obeyed ideal solution theory, but GC systems did not.