Extension of Biodiesel Aging Mechanism–the Role and Influence of Methyl Oleate and the Contribution of Alcohols Through the Use of Solketal

Abstract

AbstractThe energy crisis and dependence on fossil fuels forces societies to develop alternative pathways to secure energy supplies. Therefore, non‐fossil fuels such as biofuels and e‐fuels can help counteract the resulting demand for existing combustion engines. However, biofuels, like biodiesel, have disadvantages in terms of oxidation stability. In general, aging of biodiesel is a complex mechanism due to interaction of various components. In order to develop an ideal fuel, the mechanism must be understood in full detail. In this work, an attempt is made to simplify the system by using methyl oleate as a biodiesel model component. In addition, other fuel components of interest such as alcohols and their respective acids help to clarify the aging mechanism. This work used isopropylidene glycerol (solketal) as the main alcohol, 1‐octanol and octanoic acid. A holistic biodiesel aging scheme was developed by using generated data and evaluating the role of acids. They epoxidize unsaturated fatty acid via Prileschajev reactions. In addition, the role of epoxides in oligomerization reactions is confirmed. Moreover, the alcohols show that the suppression of oligomerization can be achieved by the reaction with methyl oleate. The alcohol‐dependent aging products were determined by quadrupole time‐of‐flight (Q‐TOF) mass spectrometry.