"Biofuels"
are transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel that are made from biomass
materials. These fuels are usually blended with the petroleum fuels — gasoline
and diesel fuel, but they can also be used on their own.
Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, had demonstrated it at 1900
World Fair using groundnut oil. More than a century later, bio- fuels seem set
for a comeback. While the use of bio-fuels is prevalent in Europe, it could
soon pick up here as well. Organisations such as Indian Oil, Indian Railways and
the Mahindra Group are conducting research in the field. If successful,
bio-diesel could result in substantial reduction in petroleum imports.
Bio-diesel
refers to those plant oils that can substitute diesel. Vegetable oils can be
directly used as fuel, but they perform better after chemical treatment. The
resulting fuel can then be blended with regular diesel in various
concentrations. For instance , bio- diesel is sold in France in a 5% mixture
with regular diesel while it is sold in Germany in pure form. According to DK
Tuli, CEO of Indian oil technologies, as IOC subsidiary, apart from being
renewable, mixing bio – diesel also results in fuel quality improvements such
as a higher cetane number and reduced sulphur emission. Indian Oil is running a
pilot plant for bio- diesel production. According to Mr Tuli, a 5% bio-diesel
mix can be used with regular diesel without requiring any changes in the engine
design. Engines have also been tested at concentrations of 10% and 20% .
Bio-diesel can be obtained from virtually any plant oil.
Soybean
oil is the preferred feedstock in the US, rapeseed and sunflower oil are used
in Europe while Malaysia and Thailand use palm oil. Germany, France and Italy
are large producers of bio-diesel. The total installed production capacity in
EU is more than 2 million tonnes a year and the production exceeded one million
tones in ’02. Use of edible oil to produce bio-diesel would be financially
unviable in India. Hopes however rest on a wild plant, Jatropa, whose seeds are
rich in oil. According to RP Sharma , professor at IIT- Chennai and former
member of the Planning Commission Committee on bio – fuel , Jatropa is a hardy
plant that can grow in near absence of water. Jatropa Plants have a productive
life of up to 40 Years, but take two to three years to mature. The yield of
coil could be as high as 3,000 kg/hectare. The cost of bio-diesel depends on
two factors, the cost of processing the raw oil. According to Mr Sharma , the
cost of processing should not exceed Rs 3-4 per kilogramme.
The
economic feasibility therefore depends upon the availability of oil at a
reasonable price. But since Jatropa has no commercial use, there is no
cultivation as of now, and availability of seeds for oil production is a
problem. However, a number of plantations are believed to be coming up in
Rajasthan and Haryana. Indian Railways has signed an MoU with IOC for a 500
hectare Jatropa plantation . India’s first large-scale plant for manufacture of
bio-diesel is at Gurgaon, outside Delhi, operated by Harbinsons Biotech. The company is trying to
sell the design in India and had set up the plant as a demonstrator.
CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PALM METHYL ESTER |
(PME) |
|
|
|
|
|
No |
Parameters |
Test Method |
EN-14214 Standards |
Units |
Random Sample Test Results |
1 |
Ester Content |
EN 14103 |
96.5 Min |
% (m/m) |
96.91 |
2 |
Density @30 C |
EN ISO 3675 |
860-900 |
kg/m3 |
865 |
3 |
Kinematic Viscosity @40 c |
EN ISO 3104 |
3.5-5.0 |
mm2/s |
4.54 |
4 |
Flash Point |
EN ISO 3679 |
120 min |
0C |
160 |
5 |
Sulphur Content |
EN ISO 20846 |
10 Max |
mg/kg |
1 |
6 |
carbon Residue ( 10% Distillation residue) |
EN ISO 10370 |
0.30 max |
%(m/m) |
0.14 |
7 |
Cetane Number |
EN 590 |
51 min |
calculated |
78.1 |
8 |
Sulphate ash |
ISO 3987 |
0.02 max |
%(m/m) |
<0.001 |
9 |
Water content |
EN ISO 12937 |
500 max |
mg/kg |
354 |
10 |
Total Contamination |
EN 12662 |
24 max |
mg/kg |
21.76 |
11 |
Copper Strip corrosion(3h@50 C |
EN ISO 2160 |
1 |
Rating |
1a |
12 |
Oxidation Stability. 110 C |
EN 14112 |
6.0 Min |
Hours |
19.32 |
13 |
Acid Value |
EN 14104 |
0.5 Max |
mg KOH/g |
0.36 |
14 |
Iodine Value |
EN 14111 |
120 Max |
gr iodine/100g |
35.98 |
15 |
Linolenic acid metyl ester |
EN 14103 |
12.0 Max |
%(m/m) |
0.02 |
16 |
Content of FAME with>4 double bonds |
EN 14103 |
1.0 Max |
%(m/m) |
0 |
17 |
Methanol Content |
En 14110 |
0.2 Max |
%(m/m) |
0.04 |
18 |
Monoglyceride content |
En 14105 |
0.8 Max |
%(m/m) |
0.26 |
19 |
Diglyceride Content |
EN 14105 |
0.2 Max |
%(m/m) |
0.15 |
20 |
Triglyceride content |
EN 14105 |
0.2 Max |
%(m/m) |
0.1 |
21 |
Free glycerol |
EN 14105 |
0.02 Max |
%(m/m) |
0.010 |
22 |
Total Glycerol |
EN 14105 |
0.25 Max |
%(m/m) |
0.11 |
23 |
Group I (alkali) metals (Na + K) |
EN 14108,14109 |
5.0 Max |
mg/kg |
0.5 |
24 |
Group II (alkali) Metals(Ca+Mg) |
EN 14538 |
5.0 Max |
mg/kg |
<1 |
25 |
Phosphorus content |
EN 14107 |
10 Max |
mg/kg |
<1 |
26 |
Cold Filter Plug Point |
EN 116 |
Report |
0 c |
+15 |