Modified pennycress oil: An alternative feedstock for biodiesel

Abstract: Recently, interest has increased in developing new seed oils for conversion to biodiesel, renewable diesel, bio-lubricants and other bioproducts. New genetically-modified (nonfood) oil crops are coming online that may be utilized as feedstocks. One such example is low-erucic acid pennycress (LEAP) oil. Pennycress is suitable for use as a wintertime cover crop in the Upper Midwestern U.S. In this work, the properties of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters [FAME]) from transesterification of LEAP oil with methanol (LEAP-ME) were studied. The properties as well as results from analysis of fatty acid concentration profiles were compared with corresponding data for FAME obtained from unmodified field pennycress, canola and soybean oils (FPC-ME, CaME and SME). Results showed that the kinematic viscosity (KV) of LEAP-ME was nearly equivalent to that of SME and lower than that of FPC-ME. The CP of LEAP-ME (−6.8 °C) was higher than that of FPC-ME (−10.5 °C), an effect that were attributed to the former having a higher total saturated-FAME (SFAME) concentration (5.40 mass%) than the latter (2.86 %). Analogously, the CP of LEAP-ME was lower when compared to data for CaME (CP = −2.5 °C; total SFAME = 6.88 %) and SME (CP = −2.8 °C; total SFAME = 14.96 %). The oxidation induction period of LEAP-ME was poor (IP = 0.83 h), indicating that mixing it with antioxidants would be required before distribution as an alternative diesel fuel.