Soybean Oil Derivatives for Fuel and Chemical Feedstocks
Description:
Plant based sources of hydrocarbons are being considered as alternatives to petrochemicals because of the need to conserve petroleum resources for reasons of national security and climate change. Changes in fuel formulations to include ethanol from corn sugar and methyl esters from soybean oil are examples of this policy in the United States and elsewhere. Replacements for commodity chemicals are also being considered, as this value stream represents much of the profit for the oil industry and one that would be affected by shortages in oil or other fossil fuels. While the discovery of large amounts of natural gas associated with oil shale deposits has abated this concern, research into bio-based feedstock materials continues. In particular, this chapter reviews a literature on the conversion of bio-based extracts to hydrocarbons for fuels and for building block commodity chemicals, with a focus on soybean derived products. Conversion of methyl esters from soybean triglycerides for replacement of diesel fuel is an active area of research; however, the focus of this chapter will not reside with esterification or transesterification, except has a means to provide materials for the production of hydrocarbons for fuels or chemical feedstocks. Methyl ester content in vehicle fuel is limited by a number of factors, including the performance in cold weather, the effect of oxygen content on engine components particularly in the case of older engines, shelf-life, and higher NOx emissions from engines that are not tuned to handle the handle the enhanced pre-ignition conditions of methyl ester combustion [1]. These factors have led to interest in synthesizing a hydrocarbon fuel from methyl esters, one that will maintain the cetane number but will achieve better performance in an automobile: enhanced mixing, injection, and combustion, and reduce downstream issues such as emissions and upstream issues such as fuel preparation and transportation. ...
Date:
January 2013
Creator:
McFarlane, Joanna
Item Type:
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