Facile Methods for Diesel/Biodiesel Blend Ratio Determination in Rubber Seed Methyl Ester
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46754/umtjur.v7i1.530Keywords:
Diesel/biodiesel blending, rubber seed methyl esterAbstract
Biodiesel is recognised as a highly sustainable alternative bioenergy to mitigate the adverse impacts of fossil fuel use. Blending biodiesel into diesel fuel at specific ratios has been mandated in various countries. In this regard, the study intends to determine the diesel or biodiesel blend ratio in rubber seed methyl ester using several facile methods. The processes of acid-catalysed esterification and base-catalysed transesterification were employed to produce 92.60% rubber seed methyl ester. A series of diesel/biodiesel blends of B20, B40, B60, and B80 were prepared by mixing the biodiesel with pure diesel. Euro 5 (B7) was obtained from the local petrol station for analysis. B80 showed the highest value for several tested parameters, including an acid value of 0.3927 mg KOH/g, a peroxide value of 8.7464 meq/kg, and a density of 0.8701 g/cm3. Meanwhile, Euro 5 (B7) achieved the highest refractive index and UV absorbance values at 1.4601 nD and 0.927, respectively. Moreover, good linearity was observed for all tested parameters with R2 values between 0.9097 and 0.9993, validating them as strong indicators for the determination of blend ratio, except for the refractive index, which showed an R2 value of 0.6366. However, all tested parameters met the criteria outlined in the EN/ASTM standard methods. Thus, this study helps to provide an approach for related industries to validate the percentage blend claims made by other parties in minimal time.
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