Biodiesels from beef tallow/soybean oil/babassu oil blends.

Cloud point (CP), cold filter plugging point (CFPP), and pour point (PP) of biodiesel samples obtained from blends containing different amounts of beef tallow, babassu oil, and soybean oil were investigated by the corresponding conventional techniques and by temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). The CP and CFPP values correlate well with the crystallization temperature ( T) obtained from the TMDSC curves, being the highest for the biodiesel sample containing the highest amount of methyl stearate. A correspondence between PP and the peak temperature was also noticed, pointing out that pouring ceases after the crystallization of the heavier fatty acid ester. Among the samples of biodiesel, Bio-3 (highest amount of babassu oil) and Bio-4 (highest amount of soybean oil) showed better cold-flow properties, or in other words, lower values of CP, CFPP, and PP. Independently of the composition, the cold-flow properties of all biodiesel samples meet the requirements from the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]