Compatibility of pongamia pinnata biofuel diesel blends with few industrial metals

Abstract

Owing to the gradual depletion of world s petroleum reserves and heightened concern regarding the environmental impact of fossil fuels, there is an urgent need for suitable alternative fuels for use in diesel engines. Biodiesel is a suitable renewable alternative fuel that can be added to diesel derived from fossil fuel because their constituents match that of diesel. Most biodiesel are produced from edible oils such as rapeseeds oil, sunflower oil and palm oil. The consumption of edible oil is very high in the country and still the indigenous production does not meet the demand and considerable amount of edible oil is imported and it is therefore, not advisable to divert these sources for biodiesel production. On the other hand, the non-edible oil resources can be a solution for biodiesel production. Pongamia pinnata, Jatropha curcus and other trees of non-edible grade native to humid and subtropical environments can be grown on degraded and marginal land. Among these, Pongamia pinnata is an untapped resource for the biodiesel industry which is able to produce several million tonnes of biodiesel in near future. Corrosion is one of the topics very relevant to the biodiesel compatibility issue. Hence assurance of material compatibility with biofuels and their blends should be verified on a case-by-case basis to ensure long-term durability of storage tanks and pipelines. Material compatibility with fuels is typically concerned with retention of physical properties and resistance to material migration that may result in contamination of the fuel. With regard to the challenge of using biofuel as automotive fuel, it is important to verify the impact of this alternative fuel on the corrosion of various metals. Tankers, storage tanks, pipes and pumping equipment are normally constructed using carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminium. Storage of biodiesel in tanks and in pipelines can release accumulated deposits and slime and can cause severe problems.