Evaluation of Palm Biodiesel - Diesel Blending Properties, Storage Stability and Corrosion Behavior

Palm Biodiesel, which can be produced from transesterification palm oil with methanol, is an alternative fuel for diesel engines. It can be mixed with diesel fuels and used in diesel engines with no or slight modification. Therefore, in this study, commercially available diesel fuel was blended with biodiesel produced from transesterification of palm oil. The stability of the pure palm biodiesel (B100) was investigated over a storage time of 2, 4 and 6 months. The study assessed the corrosion rate of metals exposed to palm biodiesel. The kinematic viscosity, density and flash points of the blends increased with biodiesel amount in the fuel blend. However, pour point of the blends decreased as the amount of biodiesel in the blends is increased. Kinematic viscosity, pour point and flash point slightly increased with storage time. The average corrosion rate for copper is 0.5341 mpy, 0.2438 mpy for aluminium and 0.1802 mpy for mild steel.