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Simultaneous Energy Recovery from Waste Polymers in Biodiesel and Improving Fuel Properties

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Abstract

Although biodiesel has been known as an alternative fuel with specific advantages, it has also been investigated as a bio-solvent. In this study, biodiesel was applied as a bio-solvent for expanded polystyrene (EPS) and the kinetics of polymers’ dissolution in biodiesel was also investigated. Physicochemical parameters such as solubility parameters of EPS and biodiesel as well as polymer–solvent interaction were calculated at 21.13, 18.19 (MPa)1/2 and 0.343, respectively. From the energy recovery point of view, different parameters i.e. flash point, density, kinematic viscosity and dynamic viscosity were evaluated for the waste polymer-biodiesel blended diesel fuel. The results obtained revealed that the addition of EPS improved the biodiesel blended diesel fuel by increasing the flash point value while reducing the density and viscosity values. Moreover, the addition EPS alone generally increased the cloud point values, but co-addition of EPS and co-solvent (acetone) partially restored them to the original values. The overall engine test results were also in favor of the fuel blend as fuel consumption and emissions i.e. CO, CO2, NOx and smoke reduced considerably while the power generated remained approximately constant.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their appreciation to Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam) as well as Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII) for financially supporting this research under the Grant No. 12-05-05-8901-89003.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam), Microbial Biotechnology and Biosafety Department, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Fahmideh Blvd., Mahdasht Road, P.O. Box: 31535-1897, Karaj, Iran

    Pouya Mohammadi, Meisam Tabatabaei, Ali M. Nikbakht, Khalil Farhadi, Mehdi Khatami far & Marco J. Castaldi

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering in Farm Machinery, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, P.O. Box: 165, Urmia, Iran

    Pouya Mohammadi & Ali M. Nikbakht

  3. Department of Chemistry, Urmia University, P.O. Box: 165, Urmia, Iran

    Khalil Farhadi

  4. Iran Renewable Energy Organization (SUNA), 1468611387, Tehran, Iran

    Mehdi Khatami far

  5. Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120th Street, New York, NY, USA

    Marco J. Castaldi

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  1. Pouya Mohammadi
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  2. Meisam Tabatabaei
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  3. Ali M. Nikbakht
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  4. Khalil Farhadi
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  5. Mehdi Khatami far
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Correspondence to Meisam Tabatabaei or Ali M. Nikbakht.

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Mohammadi, P., Tabatabaei, M., Nikbakht, A.M. et al. Simultaneous Energy Recovery from Waste Polymers in Biodiesel and Improving Fuel Properties. Waste Biomass Valor 4, 105–116 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-013-9214-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-013-9214-2

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