Determination of the Hansen Solubility Parameters of Vegetable Oils, Biodiesel, Diesel, and Biodiesel-Diesel Blends

The search for alternative fuels has been gaining attention in recent decades. The replacement of fossil fuels is driven by environmental, economic, and social factors, since the whole of society is dependent on their usage; and in this context, one alternative that has been highlighted is the use of biodiesel. Biodiesel represents a renewable, biodegradable, non-inflammable, and low toxicity alternative to diesel. In this study, the Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs) and the interaction radii (R (0)) were determined for the following materials: used frying oil, coconut oil, palm oil, biodiesel from used frying oil, diesel, and biodiesel-diesel blends (B10 and B20), using 45 solvents and solvent mixtures. The values found for the solubility parameters of the used frying oil and coconut oil were very close to those found for the biodiesel; however, the biofuel showed higher solubility in polar solvents. The values of solubility parameters of diesel, B10, and B20 were similar, increasing values according to the amount (by volume) of biodiesel added to diesel fuel.