Comparison of Viscosities of Biodiesel from Pork Lard and Soybean Oil and Blends with Petroleum Diesel

Abstract

Viscosity is an important fuel property of biodiesel and fossil diesel fuels. Animal fats and vegetable oils can be used as alternative fuels directly but they have a major drawback because of their high viscosity values. High viscosity causes problems in compression ignitions. Animal fats and vegetable oils can be converted into other forms of fuels, such as methyl esters. Biodiesel, the mono-alkyl esters of vegetable oils and animal fats, can serve as an alternative fuel to depleting fossil fuels and has gained more importance due to its environmental benefits, biodegradability and renewability. This work evaluated the influence on viscosity of a mixture of biodiesel fuels obtained from two different sources. A mixture of biodiesel fuels obtained from different sources did not have a significant effect on the viscosity values. Biodiesel-diesel fuel blends can serve as a feasible alternative, as they can be used in diesel engines without major modifications. In addition, the effects of blends of biodiesel at different ratios on viscosity were investigated.