Determining and modeling of density and viscosity of biodiesel-diesel and biodiesel-diesel-butanol blends

Abstract

Abstract In the present work jatropha, palm, and karanja-based biodiesel and diesel blends, as well as biodiesel diesel and butanol blends, were studied. 112 density data for biodiesel-diesel blends in the temperature range of 30–65 °C were generated. 651 data for viscosity for these blends were generated in the temperature range of 25–65 °C. Blends with butanol were studied only at room temperature. The addition of butanol has not made much of a difference in the density or viscosity of the blends. Empirical models available in the literature were fitted to the data. The linear model in volume fraction and temperature was accurate for density. A generalized model was proposed representing the density for the biodiesel/diesel blend comprising all three biodiesels. A new empirical model for viscosity was also proposed in the study. The proposed model performed well compared to other models, with % an OARD of 3.74 %. A generalized model for viscosity was also proposed. The generalized models could estimate the density and viscosity with % OARD of 0.673  and 5.25 %, respectively.