Empirical modeling of different viscosity and density behavior of biodiesel from chichá (Sterculia striata) with diesel versus temperature variation

Abstract

Currently, biodiesel is marketed with mineral diesel constituting blends of biodiesel in accordance with the National Program for the Production and Use of Biodiesel (Law 11,097/05) but depending on the composition of biodiesel/diesel blends, there will be the physico-chemical properties of the mixtures. Among the properties, the density and kinematic viscosity very significantly with the changes in the compositions of the mixtures and therefore deserve to be high lighted, besides representing two important parameters monitored by National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuel Agency (ANP) resolutions. In this article, the biodiesel produced from chichá oil was mixed with diesel in different proportions where the viscosities and densities of the blends were analyzed at different temperatures. With the values obtained, a study of the influence of these variables was carried out and a model of a surface was proposed to adjust the curves that varied as a function of the biodiesel concentration and the temperature. The model was validated with an unused curve during its construction and showed good ability to represent the relationship between the variables. Experimental data showed that the density and viscosity of the mixture increase with increasing percentage of biodiesel in the mixtures and decreased with increasing temperature for all biodiesel mixtures studied.