The poor cold flow property is one of the main obstacle factors in affecting the utilization of high-proportional biodiesel blends in engines. In this study, methcyclohexyl methacrylate-methacrylate copolymers (MCHMA-R1MC, R1 = C12, C14, C16, C18) were synthesized at various molar ratios by radical polymerization and characterized by FTIR, GPC, and 1H NMR. Their structures and properties areanalyzed and characterized by FTIR, GPC, and 1H NMR. The resulting copolymers were tested as the cold flow improver in terms of cold filter plugging point (CFPP) and solid point (SP) measurement for treated and untreated B20 biodiesel blends (20 vol.% biodiesel + 80 vol.% diesel). Results showed that the CFPP and SP of B20 decreased to a varied extent after MCHMA-R1MC treatment. When the monomer ratio of is 1:7, MCHMA-C14MC (1:7) proved the greatest depression in CFPP and SP of B20 by 18 and 25℃ at 2000 ppm dosage. The effects of MCHMA-R1MC copolymers on crystal behavior was studied through polarizing optical microscope(POM), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and viscosity-temperature curves. The results indicated that MCHMA-C14MC could effectively delay the aggregation of wax crystals and change their crystalline behavior by changing the shape of the crystals and inhibiting the formation of large wax crystals, and then lower the low-temperature viscosity of biodiesel blends and make it exhibiting better cold flow properties.

The utilization and popularization of biodiesel are always limited by its poor cold flow properties. Both bio-based alcohol and diesel from direct coal liquefaction (DDCL) has potential to enhance the cold flow properties of biodiesel. Ternary blends of waste cooking oil biodiesel (BWCO) with DDCL and bio-based ethanol (ET) or 1-butanol (BT) for improving the cold flow properties of biodiesel. The pour point (PP), cold filter plugging point (CFPP), and cloud point (CP) of BWCO-ET, BWCO-BT, and BWCO-DDCL binary blends, and BWCO-ET-DDCL and BWCO-BT-DDCL ternary blends were comparatively assessed. Ternary phase diagrams were also applied into analyze the blending effect of the three components on the cold flow properties of biodiesel. Results showed that both DDCL, ET and BT can remarkably enhance the cold flow properties of BWCO. BT and DDCL presented a better synergistic depression effect. For ternary blends in 20:10:70 blending ratio, BWCO-BT-DDCL exhibited the lowest PP, CFPP, and CP of −23 °C, −19 °C, and −17 °C, respectively. The crystallization behavior and crystal morphology of blended fuels are also observed via a polarizing optical microscope, and find that DDCL together with BT in biodiesel can effectively retard the aggregation of large crystals and inhibit crystals growth.

Poor cold flow property is a major issue that hinders the application of biodiesel-diesel blends. In this work, a series of methacrylate-benzyl methacrylate-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone terpolymers (RMC-MB-NVP, R= C12, C14, C16, C18) was synthesized and used as the pour point depressants (PPDs) for waste cooking oil biodiesel blends. To further improve their depressive effects, dispersants, including Tween (40, 60, and 80), Span (40, 60, and 80), phthalic acid esters (PAEs), and fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (FAPE; FAPE 5, FAPE 7, and FAPE 9), were optimized and combined with the C14MC-MB-NVP terpolymers. The effects of C14MC-MB-NVP terpolymers and combined PPDs (PPDC) on the cloud point (CP), cold filter-plugging point (CFPP), and pour point (PP) of biodiesel blends were studied. Here, results showed that the presence of dispersants can efficiently enhance the solubility and dispersibility of polymeric PPDs in biodiesel blends; thus, the PPDC presents better depressive effects. Among of them, C16MC-MB-NVP (5:1:1) combined with FAPE 7 dispersant at 4:1 mass ratio (PPDC-FAPE 7) showed the best synergistic effect, and the CP, CFPP, and PP of B20 treated with 2000 ppm PPDC-FAPE 7 decreased by 4, 10 and 19 °C, respectively. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscope and rheological analyses were performed to rationalize the action mechanism of these PPDs and dispersants in biodiesel blends.