Page 15 - Biofuels Refining and Performance

xiv Preface

The fourth chapter discusses different plant sources used for production
of biodiesel, properties of biodiesel, and processing of vegetable oils as
biodiesel, and compares engine performance with different biodiesels.
Biodiesel is the methyl or other alkyl esters of vegetable oils, animal
fats, or used cooking oils. Biodiesel also contains minor components
such as free fatty acids and acylglycerols. Important fuel properties of
biodiesel that are determined by the nature of its major and minor com-
ponents include ignition quality and exhaust emissions, cold flow, oxida-
tive stability, viscosity, and lubricity. The fifth chapter discusses how
the major and minor components of biodiesel influence the mentioned
properties.
Different techniques of biodiesel preparation and resulting engine
performance are discussed in detail in Chap. 6. The seventh chapter dis-
cusses ethanol and methanol as fuel in the internal combustion engine
and emphasizes their advantages (such as a higher octane number)
over gasoline. Cracking of lipids turns polar esters into nonpolar hydro-
carbons. This is accompanied by a fundamental change in physical and
chemical properties. Products formed give rise to new applications in the
fuel sector and for chemical commodities, e.g., detergents. The eighth
chapter explores routes to provide these alternative hydrocarbons from
lipids. It concentrates on substrates (seeds, vegetable oils, animal fat) and
conversion pathways as well as analytical tools.
The ninth chapter discusses the fuel cell, an electrochemical device and
nonpolluting alternative energy source that converts the chemical energy
of a fuel (hydrogen, natural gas, methanol, gasoline, etc.) and an oxidant
(air or oxygen) into electricity with water and heat as by-products.
The book is organized in a manner to cater to the needs of students,
researchers, managerial organizations, and readers at large. We welcome
the reader’s opinions, suggestions, and added information, which will
improve future editions and help readers in the future. Readers’ bene-
fits will be the best reward for the authors.

AHINDRA NAG, PH.D.