Organic fuel additive “cleaner and more efficient”

New research into the thermal decomposition of a potential fuel additive has shown it could deliver cleaner and more efficient combustion. The authors of the study claim their findings have the potential to shed new light on the applicability of biofuels.

Scientists have long been researching additives comprised of oxygenated organic compounds that could help reduce the release of pollutants into the atmosphere during the combustion of fossil fuels. Researchers from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have now established how these potential additives decompose under combustion-relevant conditions.

Diethyl carbonate (DEC), which is comprised of 40.6% oxygen by mass, is considered to have potential to facilitate the clean combustion of diesel fuels. KAUST scientist Binod Raj Giri and colleagues have evaluated the effects of pressure and temperature on the decomposition of DEC, in a bid to understand its thermal decomposition.

The team combined physical experiments with theoretical calculations to “provide a detailed and reliable kinetic picture for the decomposition and its products,” Giri said.

It was discovered that DEC had a significant effect on the decomposition of organic esters called ethyl propionate and ethyl levulinate, significantly lowering the reaction energy barrier and consequently increasing reactivity.

According to a KAUST statement, which cites Giri, “…these findings will shed light into the applicability of biodiesel fuels, which consist of various methyl and ethyl esters, to modern diesel engines and engine hybrids. Also, they will help clarify the blending effect of esters and carbonates with conventional fuels.”

Giri’s team is currently investigating decomposition pathways for glycerol carbonate, which has a higher oxygen content than DEC. “This molecule might be even more attractive than DEC regarding soot reduction and environmental impact,” he adds.

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