Prediction of biodiesel fuel properties from fatty acid alkyl ester

In this study, the fatty acid alkyl esters composing the basic molecular structures of biodiesels were used to predict the characteristics of biodiesel fuels. The characteristics of biodiesel fuels (higher heating value, oxidation stability, and kinematic viscosity) made using vegetable oils and animal fats were predicted by analyzing the characteristics of various fatty acid alkyl esters. The average absolute error range of the higher heating values was from 0.14% to 1.42% based on the analysis of the fatty acid alkyl ester compositions of the biodiesels. And the average absolute errors of oxidation stability and the kinematic viscosity ranged from 0.4% to 7.5% and from 0.2% to 4.3%, respectively. Thus, various biodiesels fuel properties, different fatty acid composition, can be predicted from fatty acid alkyl esters fuel properties.