PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – Tri Yuswidjajanto Zaenuri, an expert in energy conversion at the Faculty of Technology and Aerospace at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), has pointed out various characteristics of biodiesel, specifically FAME (fatty acid methyl ester), derived from the esterification process of crude palm oil (CPO).
According to him, FAME possesses certain properties that distinguish it from traditional diesel fuel. These include its hygroscopic nature, which allows it to absorb water, its detergency, which acts as a solvent capable of depositing dirt in the fuel tank and potentially causing filter clogs. Additionally, FAME exhibits a higher oxidation level that can lead to deposits, and its energy content, measured in calories, is lower at 37 MJ/kg compared to diesel’s 43 MJ/kg.
Furthermore, FAME has a higher viscosity, measuring at 4.15 mm2/s, in contrast to diesel’s 3.25 mm2/s. During injection, FAME tends to produce a thicker fog. While diesel burns completely, FAME does not, resulting in some of it being carried away by gas and entering the crankcase, eventually mixing with the lubricant.
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On the other hand, the higher lubricant viscosity that when FAME that got into, made lubricant more aqueous. That is why lubricant would be slippery because it is like getting addictive anti-friction through FAME.
“Until now there is no complaint about lubricant from biodiesel 35% (B35) users. They remain substituted oil every 250 hours or 500 hours. They just complained about substituting filter to be more often. The fuel got more. It is rare to get complaint about lubricant,” Tri said.
He also continued, in fuel pump, every component is lubricated by fuel, not by lubricant. “There is no, actually, complaint about lubricant with B35,” he said.
Tri continued, by hygroscopic characteristic, when B35 is in pile tank where there are empty spaces in it, water evaporation condensation takes place because FAME absorbs in the blank space and the water in the fuel tanks would be more in numbers. The water which is blended with fuel, he continued, would make emulsion that could be bacteria or fungus and would make gel layers which ends at the filter of fuel.
But he thought, B35 mandatory program delivers its own benefits, such as, would get CPO downstream sectors, reduce carbon emission. But B35 also delivered the negativity that needs solution to run well and not deliver the bad for industries and users.
“The pile to storage B35 should regularly be cleaned, do fuel circulation by taking lower line through the filter to increase up, modify by put (new) filter to maintain fuel in the combustion chamber cleaner. The other solution is by applying addictive substance into fuel,” Tri said.
Bambang Tjahjono said that biodiesel also has negative characteristic such as it is wasteful to use. Hygroscopic characteristic (in biodiesel) would deliver higher water content and would endanger the machine.
“It is easily in oxidation that causes sediment, impact in fuel filter. Biodiesel is corrosive too because it would be in long term and always be forgotten. I delivered feedback to the government and there were only technical guidelines that it needs to keep B35 only for 3 (three) months. After that it needs to re-test again,” he said.
He continued, as industries using B35 in the biggest number, Aspindo keeps educating about the maintenance, such as, regular cleaning, flushing, piled with filters and returning again, prevent to get air absorbed (into storage). If B35 is kept for long term, the tank should be very full in order not to get air.
“When FAME and lubricant intersect in machine room, there would be less effect. I do not see the research yet. It needs research if B35 would have something to do with lubricant, particularly machine oil, for instance in the long term, oil would be in short application. It needs research still,” he said. (T2)
