Palm diesel with low pour point for climate countries

Abstract

The present invention also discloses the processes of producing the low pour point palm diesel particularly but not exclusively via esterification of C18, C18:1 and C18:2 mixed fatty acids with methanol or ethanol, or fractional distillation of methyl or ethyl esters of palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil products, or fractional distillation of methyl or ethyl esters of palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil products, followed by crystallisation, or crystallisation of methyl or ethyl esters of palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil products, or crystallisation of methyl or ethyl esters of palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil products, followed by fractional distillation.

1 . Biodiesel from palm oil, palm kernel oil and/or palm oil products or any mixture thereof characterized in that the biodiesel consists of at least C18, C18:1 and C18: 2 methyl or ethyl esters or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         2 . Biodiesel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the C18, C18:1 and C18: 2 methyl or ethyl esters or mixtures thereof are mixed in a proportion to yield a pour point between −12° C. and −21° C.  
     
     
         3 . Biodiesel as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the proportion consist less than 10% saturated methyl esters or ethyl esters or a mixture thereof and at least 90% of C18:1 or C18:2 or a mixture thereof of methyl or ethyl esters.  
     
     
         4 . Biodiesel as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the methyl esters consists of methyl myristate, methyl palmitate, methyl oleate and methyl linoleate.  
     
     
         5 . Biodiesel as claimed in  claim 4  wherein methyl ester composition comprises of 0.5% methyl myristate, 5.0% methyl palmitate, 83.6 methyl oleate and 11.0% methyl linoleate to yield a pour point of −21° C.  
     
     
         6 . Biodiesel as claimed in  claim 4  wherein methyl ester composition comprises of 0.6 methyl myristate, 5.7 of methyl palmitate, 2.0% methyl stearate, 79.0 methyl oleate and 12.7% methyl linoleate linoleate to yield a pour point of −15° C.  
     
     
         7 . Biodiesel as claimed in  claim 4  wherein a mixture containing 0.6% methyl myristate, 6.3% of methyl palmitate, 2.9% methyl stearate, 74.6% methyl oleate and 15.7% methyl linoleate to yield a pour point of −12θC.  
     
     
         8 . Biodiesel as claimed in  claim 4  wherein a mixture containing 0.7% methyl myristate, 6.7% of methyl palmitate, 0.4% methyl stearate, 75.5% methyl oleate and 16.7% methyl linoleate to yield a pour point of −9θC.  
     
     
         9 . Biodiesel as claimed in  claim 4  wherein a mixture containing 1.64% methyl myristate, 5.04% of methyl palmitate, 0.65% methyl stearate, 72.85% methyl oleate, 19.38% methyl linoleate and 0.45% methyl arachidate to yield a pour point of −33θC.  
     
     
         10 . Biodiesel from palm oil, palm kernel oil and/or palm oil products or any mixture thereof characterized in that a mixture of methyl or ethyl esters of palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil products in any combination has lower than 7% of total saturated methyl or ethyl esters and at least 70% C18:1 methyl or ethyl ester or mixture thereof.  
     
     
         11 . Biodiesel as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the total saturated methyl or ethyl esters consists of C14 methyl or ethyl ester, C16 methyl or ethyl ester and C18 methyl or ethyl ester.  
     
     
         12 . A process to synthesize biodiesel consisting of C18, C18:1 and C18:2 methyl or ethyl esters or a mixture thereof by any one of processes consisting of:—
 a)esterification of mixture of C18, C18:1 and C18:2 fatty acids; or  
 b) fractional distillation of methyl or ethyl esters from palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil products, or  
 c) crystallisation of methyl or ethyl esters from palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil products, or  
 d) integrated fractional distillation and crystallisation of methyl or ethyl esters of palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil products.  
 
     
     
         13 . A process to synthesize biodiesel as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the esterification process in step (a) is carried out using at least C18:1, C18:2 fatty acids or a mixture thereof at a temperature between 110° C. and 160° C. with an acid catalyst.  
     
     
         14 . A process to synthesize biodiesel as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the acid catalyst is selected from concentrated sulphuric acid, concentrated hydrochloric acid and/or sulphonic acid at a concentration of 0.5%-1% of the total mixture.  
     
     
         15 . A process to synthesize biodiesel as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the fractional distillation process in step (b) is carried out at a pressure of 5 Pa to 30 Pa.  
     
     
         16 . A process the synthesize biodiesel as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the crystallization process in step (c) and (d) wherein it is dry or solvent fractionation.  
     
     
         17 . A process to synthesize biodiesel as claimed din  claim 16  wherein alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, isopronoll or a mixture thereof is used in solvent fractionation process.  
     
     
         18 . A process to synthesize biodiesel from palm oil, palm kernel oil or palm oil products or from mixture thereof wherein the biodiesel is methyl or ethyl esters or mixtures thereof and synthesized via transesterification of palm oil and methanol and ethanol respectively.  
     
     
         19 . A process to sythesize biodiesel from palm oil as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the transesterification process is carried out using palm oil, palm kernel and palm oil products with methanol or ethanol at a temperature of 60° C. to 65° C. for 45 minutes to 1 hour and using 0.25% to 1% alkaline catalyst selected from a group consisting of sodium hydroxide and sodium methylate.