Production of biodiesel from hemp oil and oleic acid with sulfonated camphor catalysts is to be evaluated with controlled tests in a diesel engine

Abstract This research examines the performance variables, combustion, and the amounts of NOx, CO, HC, and K emissions in a diesel engine, using blends of hemp biodiesel and oleic acid biodiesel with conventional diesel. To obtain biodiesel from hemp oil and oleic acid, a heterogeneous sulfonated camphor catalyst (CASU-AL) was used for the transesterification of hemp oil and the esterification of oleic acid respectively. Several characterization tests were performed on the CASU-AL catalyst such as the acid-base titration method for the quantification of acid sites, XRD analysis to determine the areas of the carbonaceous material, images and composition of CASU-AL were obtained with SEM and EDX, the porosity characteristics and surface properties were assessed with BET analysis. Constant operating conditions were used in the autogenous reactor with a temperature of 200 °C, a reaction time of 23 min, and a quantity of sulfonated camphor catalyst of 0.033 % w. Several analyses were applied to the CASU-AL, several mixtures were made with conventional diesel, and different biodiesels were obtained in the laboratory. The mixtures were conventional diesel (DIE-100), hemp oil biodiesel (BAC-100), oleic acid biodiesel (BAO-100), Diesel-BAC mixture with 30 % hemp oil biodiesel (MDBAC-30), and Diesel-BAO mixture with 30 % oleic acid biodiesel (MDBAO-30). For the tests in a diesel engine, three speed zones were selected in the engine to identify the behavior at low speed at 1,200 rpm, medium speed at 1,400 rpm, and high speed at 1800 rpm. Combustion tests reveal that no significant variation is observed in the characteristics and performance of the diesel engine, however, in the gaseous products derived from combustion, significant reductions in carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbon, and an increase in nitrogen oxide emissions were achieved when using DIE-100 compared to BAC-100 and BAO-100. The tests showed a reduction in NOx, CO, HC, K, and smoke emissions when testing MDBAC-30 and MDBAO-30 in a laboratory diesel engine. A comparison of the properties of hemp oil-oleic acid biodiesels BAC-100 and BAO-100 with conventional diesel DIE-100 revealed that the different biodiesels used could be used alone or in a blend of 70 % diesel and 30 % biodiesel to fuel diesel engines by decreasing air pollutants and promoting lubricity in the engine. Our findings revealed that MDBAC-30 and MDBAO-30 showed the best engine performance and lowest emissions among all the tested fuels. In other words, MDBAC-30 and MDBAO-30 are the ideal fuel blends for diesel engines and do not require any modification to the engine.