Increasingly strict regulations on the sulfur content of

							           Properties of Functionalized Fatty Acid Methyl Esters
         Kapila Wadumesthrige1, Sidong Zeng1, Mark Winston-Galant1,
               John Wilson2, Steven O. Salley1, K. Y. Simon Ng1

          Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science,
                          Wayne State University1,
             5050 Anthony Wayne Drive, Detroit, MI 48202, USA

          Next Energy2, 461 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI 48202, USA

Biodiesel, which is defined as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from
renewable biological sources such as Soy bean oil, Cotton Seed oil, Rape seed oil,
various animal fats and waste frying oil is considered as a possible substitute of
conventional diesel fuels. The chemical structure and composition of FAMEs varies
depending on the source of biodiesel. The fuel quality parameters as described in
ASTM D 6751, biodiesel specification, depend on various individual FAME in
biodiesel. In fact, the properties of various fatty esters are determined by the
chemical structure of the fatty acid chain and that of alcohol part of the ester.
Chemical structures that affect the fuel properties of FAME molecule are chain
length, degree of unsaturation, branching of the chain and other chemical functional
groups such as hydroxyl and epoxide groups. In this work the chemical structure of
fatty acid chain was modified by established chemical conversions such as catalytic
hydrogenation, epoxidation and oxidation under mild conditions. The hydrogenated
FAME showed higher oxidation stability but poor cold flow properties whereas
addition of hydroxyl groups in to the fatty acid chain yield biodiesel with better cold
flow properties and acceptable oxidation stability. Other fuel quality parameters such
as cetane number, lubricity, heat of combustion and viscosity of these modified
FAMS will be discussed. These results will be helpful to improve better fuel quality
additives for both biodiesel and conventional petroleum diesel.