Paul Smith

PhD Candidate

B.E.(Chem). Hons
B.App.Sc. (Chem Tech)

Location: Room A210 Engineering Annex
Email: psmith@chemeng.adelaide.edu.au
Phone: + 61 8 8303 3903
Fax: + 61 8 8303 4373

Supervisors

A/Prof Brian O'Neill, School of Chemical Engineering
A/Prof Dzuy Nguyen, School of Chemical Engineering
Dr Yung Ngothai, School of Chemical Engineering

Research Topic

Biodiesel Production

Research Abstract

Biodiesel has been widely accepted as an additive for fossil-derived diesel fuel for use in compression ignition engines. It offers many advantages including: higher cetane number; reduced emissions of particulates, NOx, SOx, CO, and hydrocarbons; reduced toxicity; improved safety; and lower lifecycle
CO2 emissions. A characteristic of biodiesel limiting its application is its relatively poor low-temperature flow properties, which are primarily a consequence of the fatty acid make-up of the oil feedstock. Attempts to influence the fatty acid profile of either the oil feedstock or the biodiesel product include winterization and fractionation which reduce the fraction of saturated fatty acids and result in large reductions in yield. A reduction in saturated fatty acids reduces ignition quality of the fuel, while the increase in unsaturation reduces oxidation stability.

The addition of branched moieties either to the alkyl head-group of the ester or as a side-chain to the tail-group can dramatically reduce cloud point without significantly changing the fatty acid profile, both in terms of chain length and degree of saturation.   My research explores the synthesis of alkoxylated biodiesel under mild conditions, using renewable feedstocks, with reasonable residence times and without the use of organic solvents.

Interests

• Renewable energy
• Sustainability