Synthesis of nitrate compounds from vegetable oils as cetane improver

Abstract

In this work, the nitrate compounds of palm oil and soybean oil were synthesized and evaluated as cetane improvers for use in diesel fuel. The nitrate compounds were identified by spectroscopic techniques, such as infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The nitrate compounds could be easily blended with base diesel fuel and were effective as cetane improvers. They were effective in increasing cetane number to 0.3, 0.7, 1.4, 2.6, 3.6 and 4.4 units for palm oil nitrate and 0.4, 1.0, 2.2, 4.0, 5.5 and 6.8 units for soybean oil nitrate at concentrations of 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1.00% by weight, respectively, as compared with base diesel fuel. These nitrate compounds could be acted as both biodiesel and cetane improvers in a single product.