Parray, Roaf Ahmad, et al. ACS omega 7.2 (2022): 1648-1657.
Ethanol-diesel fuel blends offer a potential path for the partial replacement of fossil diesel fuel with renewable components. Ethanol and diesel fuel are completely immiscible over a broad range of temperatures. The effectiveness of 1-octanol as a surfactant was evaluated. This work confirms that 1-octanol is an effective surfactant for the stabilization of ethanol-diesel fuel blends. The effectiveness of this surfactant was found to be better than that of either ethyl acetate or soy biodiesel.
Application & Evaluation: 1-octanol was applied as a surfactant to prepare a series of ethanol-diesel fuel blends. Blends were formulated using different proofs of ethanol (ranging from 170° to 200°) and varying ethanol concentrations in diesel (from 5% to 20% by volume). The minimum amount of 1-octanol required to achieve a clear, single-phase blend was determined for each formulation.
Key Results:
· 1-octanol proved to be the most effective surfactant among the three tested. Out of 20 prepared blends, 17 remained stable without phase separation across the entire 0-45°C temperature range. At the rated engine load, several of the stabilized ethanol-diesel blends exhibited brake power output comparable to pure diesel. Engine thermal efficiency for the blends was also similar to that of diesel.
· The use of 1-octanol as a surfactant allowed for the use of lower-proof ethanol in blends, which contributed to a reduction in overall NOx emissions compared to some scenarios. However, an increase in unburned hydrocarbon (UBHC) emissions was noted with higher ethanol proportions. Blends with up to 10% diesel replacement by ethanol demonstrated engine performance most similar to pure diesel.
Lu, Yao, et al. Fuel 256 (2019): 116007.