Chemical Composition and Cold Flow Property of Cottonseed Oil Biodiesel Fuel

The Cottonseed oil methyl ester (COME) was prepared using an alkali catalyzed trans esterification reaction, and its chemical composition and cold flow properties (CFP) were studied. Two approaches, viz. blending with petrodiesel and treating with cold flow improver (CFI) were used to improve the CFP of COME. The results showed that COME was mainly composed of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs): C14:0–C22:0, C16:1–C20:1, C18:2 and C18:3–C20:3. The mass fractions of saturated and unsaturated FAMEs were 27.69% and 71.65%, respectively. The cold filter plugging point (CFPP) and kinematic viscosity (KV) at 40 °C of COME are -1 °C and 4.63 mm2/s respectively. Blending with -10 petrodiesel (-10PD) and 0 petrodiesel (0PD) can decrease the CFPP of COME/-10PD (B30-B40) and COME/0PD (B40-B50) -12 and -8 °C respectively. With the increase in petrodiesel content, the KV at 40 °C of blending oil decreased, and viscosity-temperature characteristics of blending oil were improved. When used Flow Fit (≤3vol.%), the CFPPs were reduce from COME/-10PD B5, B7, B10, B20, B50 and COME -8, -8, -9, -11, -11 and -1 °C to -28, -27, -26, -25, -16 and -5 °C respectively; COME/0PD -3, -3, -4, -5, -8 and -1 °C to -26, -25, -24, -24, -16 and -5 °C respectively.