Emulsification of bio-crude produced from agricultural waste via hydrothermal liquefaction process

In the present study, bio-crude obtained from hydrothermal liquefaction of waste wheat flour and canola meal (residue after extraction of canola oil) was emulsified with the light cycle oil (LCO) using octanol as an emulsifier. Emulsification process parameters such as mixing time, temperature, stirring intensity, and emulsifier, biocrude, LCO concentrations were varied and studied to obtain a final emulsion that could be used as a fuel in diesel engines. Favorable process conditions for the emulsion were found to be 25 min of mixing time at 105 celcius temperature with a stirring intensity of 1000 rpm, and emulsifier, bio-crude, and LCO concentrations as 5, 10, and 85 wt% respectively. Various physicochemical properties of the formulated emulsion with bio-crude were studied which showed an improvement compared to the bio-crude used. The physicochemical properties of the emulsion were compared with the blends of conventional diesel fuel that do not contain additives, canola biodiesel for emulsion stability. Comparative analysis of the emulsion physicochemical properties revealed that the emulsion properties are very close to ASTM D 6751-09 biodiesel specifications.

Automated summary

The study discussed the potential of preparing emulsions by mixing bio-crude and light cycle oil as fuel for diesel engines, investigated the appropriate parameters for emulsification, and obtained improved physicochemical properties compared to using bio-crude alone. The properties of the emulsion were found to closely match ASTM D 6751-09 biodiesel specifications.