VISCOPLEX CFIs

Cold Flow Improvers for Biodiesel

RohMax Expertise
RohMax Oil Additives is a leading global supplier of high performance lubricant and refinery additives and is part of Evonik Industries AG, the global market leader in specialty chemicals.

RohMax pours more than 60 years of experience into its biodiesel Cold Flow Improvers

We develop, manufacture and market VISCOPLEX viscosity index improvers, pour point depressants, dewaxing aids and Cold Flow Improvers for biodiesel all derived from our proprietary polymer technology. Our global sales team is backed by technical experts and state-of-the-art Technology Centers in North America, Europe, and Asia. We are committed to providing tailor-made solutions to meet industry needs. Our ISO certified, worldwide manufacturing network and global supply chain enable us to provide customized products and services to our customers around the world.

RohMax Global Supply Chain and Technology Network We are a global leader in improving the cold flow properties of a wide range of both petroleum and natural oil-based fluids and lubricants. Our VISCOPLEX Cold Flow Improver (CFI) additives

modify low temperature crystal formation, helping biodiesel from a variety of sources meet the low temperature requirements of current fuel standards.

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Singapore

Technology Centers Manufacturing Facilities

The Challenge: Biodiesel Cold Flow Properties

Biodiesel fuels have different low temperature performance, depending on the crop source from which they are derived. Biodiesel consists of a mix of long-chain fatty acid esters (usually fatty acid methyl esters, or FAMEs) which differ in carbon chain length and degree of saturation. Individually, each component of this mix has a melting point somewhere between 35C and +45C a very wide range. Biodiesel derived from different sources (such as soy, palm, tallow, etc.) contains different relative levels of these components, which accounts for its differing cold flow properties. The greatest influence on cold flow properties comes from the relative quantities of the lower melting point (mainly unsaturated and lower molecular weight saturated) components compared to the higher melting point (mainly higher molecular weight saturated) components. As the cold flow properties of most biodiesel fuels are inferior to those of fossil diesel, there is a need to improve these properties so they meet the performance standards of current fuel specifications.

The Solution: VISCOPLEX CFIs

VISCOPLEX Cold Flow Improvers have Improve the CFPP of blends of biodiesel (SME, RME, PME) with broad applicability and show benefits in many tests and many biodiesel types. In fossil diesel, thereby extending the particular, they can: range of blend ratios (B5, B10, etc) Improve the Cold Filter Plugging that meet the required fuel Point (CFPP) of biodiesel B100 from specifications different sources, such as Soy Methyl Ester (SME), Rapeseed Methyl Ester Biodiesel Feedstock without Cold Flow Improvers (RME), or Palm Methyl Ester (PME), enabling: increased value for product sold against a CFPP target expanded sales of biodiesel in colder periods or regions than previously possible without a VISCOPLEX CFI improved biodiesel low temperature handling properties while minimizing sedimentation and solidification Allow blends of FAMEs with good and poor low temperature performance to meet the required specifications

VISCOPLEX CFIs can provide dramatic low temperature performance improvements

The Mechanism of Action of VISCOPLEX CFIs

As a liquid biodiesel sample is cooled, the higher melting point components will begin to crystallize and come out of solution. Initially they form small crystals which make the fuel look hazy to the naked eye. The temperature at which this first occurs is called the Cloud Point (CP). Continued cooling causes the crystals to grow into plate and needle structures that will increase the viscosity of the biodiesel sample beyond that of the fully liquid fuel. When these plate and needle structures become sufficiently large they can cause filter plugging, with the temperature at which this occurs being the Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP). With further cooling, the crystals will continue to grow and the liquid fuel will eventually be trapped and immobilized in a three-dimensional network, which occurs while the majority of the fuel components are still in the liquid phase. The temperature at which this occurs is the Pour Point (PP) of the fluid. If undisturbed, these waxy solids can settle out as a visible lower layer, which may be diffuse or quite solid and can be a source of bulk fluid handling problems. At the temperatures and cooling rates at which these effects are just starting to be realized, the solids account for only a small portion of the fuel and the crystal structure contains a large amount of fluid trapped in a fragile solid matrix. A correctly selected VISCOPLEX Cold Flow Improver acts at both a molecular level to alter the crystallization process, and at a particulate level, to change crystal morphology, thus interfering with the development of the crystal matrix and extending the range of fluidity of the biodiesel to lower temperatures or slower cooling rates.

Uncontrolled Crystal Growth

Decreasing Temperature

Controlled Crystal Growth

Crystal

Crystallite

VISCOPLEX Cold Flow Improvers

Crystalline Network

Retarded Formation of Crystalline Network

Crystalline Network Hinders Low Temp Flow

Dramatic Improvement of Low Temp Performance

Effect of VISCOPLEX CFIs

Cold Flow Improvers work by modifying the growth of the crystallizing particles. They have little effect on the temperature at which the crystals start to form, or the total amount of crystals that form. Rather, when crystals form, Cold Flow Improvers co-crystallize on the edges of the growing crystal plate, thereby blocking the continued growth of the plate. The result is smaller crystals that more easily pass filters and that are less able to form the three-dimensional gel
Without Cold Flow Improvers

structures that impair the flow of the fuel. The impact on cold flow properties is that while CP is little affected, dramatic improvements in CFPP and PP can be obtained. An added benefit of VISCOPLEX CFIs is that on re-warming of fuel that contains solids, the smaller, more dispersed crystal structure means that the fuel is more quickly and easily returned to a useable fluid state.

With VISCOPLEX

non-treated crystals<50m

0.5% VISCOPLEX 10-305 crystallites<5m

Cloud Point Cloud Point CFPP Pour Point CFPP Pour Point

Performance of VISCOPLEX CFIs

RME
CFPP/PP of VISCOPLEX 10-305 in RME

A 13C (23F) improvement in CFPP can be achieved in RME with 0.5% VISCOPLEX 10-305 weight/weight treat rate. A 14C improvement in cloud point and >25C (51F) improvement in pour point can also be achieved.

SME
CFPP of VISCOPLEX 10-330 in SME

A 5C (9F) improvement in CFPP can be achieved in SME with 0.25% VISCOPLEX 10-330 weight/weight treat rate. Typically, cloud point will be improved by 14C and pour point by >20C.

PME
CFPP of VISCOPLEX 10-330 in PME

A 5C (9F) improvement can be achieved in PME with 0.75% VISCOPLEX 10-330 weight/weight treat rate. Typically, pour point and cloud point will be improved by ~2C.

CFPP in Blends of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters

Blending of different FAME sources is often undertaken to either ensure that a required CFPP target is met, or to improve the raw material economics of a FAME blend while still meeting the CFPP requirement of the relevant seasonal fuel grade. The use of a

correctly selected VISCOPLEX cold flow additive will improve the CFPP of FAME blends, often meaning that the target CFPP can be achieved with a lesser quantity of the higher cost FAME. In most cases, the VISCOPLEX treat cost is more than compensated for by

the reduction in cost derived from the more favorable economics of the raw materials used to make the FAME. This means that treatment with VISCOPLEX frequently represents the most costeffective option to achieve the desired CFPP target.

RME + SME
VISCOPLEX CFI Effect on the CFPP of RME + SME Blends

PME + SME
VISCOPLEX CFI Effect on the CFPP of PME + SME Blends

Improve Cold Storage Stability

Soy Methyl Ester (SME)
after 24 hours of storage at -5C after 3 days of storage at -5C

Neat SME (no additives)

with VISCOPLEX additive (1% wt VISCOPLEX 10-330)

Palm Methyl Ester (PME)

after 24 hours of storage at 10C after 3 days of storage at 10C

Neat SME (no additives)

with VISCOPLEX additive (1% wt VISCOPLEX 10-330)

VISCOPLEX CFIs from RohMax deliver visible results

VISCOPLEX CFI Portfolio

Benefits
Palm (and Palm + Soy blends) Soy Canola/Rapeseed (and Rapeseed + Soy blends)

CFPP

Pour Point

Cold Storage

VISCOPLEX 10-330
Recommended additive for PME. Also recommended for CFPP improvement of SME and blends of SME & PME.

VISCOPLEX 10-305
Recommended additive for RME. Also recommended for blends of RME & SME, and to improve the low temperature characteristics of SME for properties other than CFPP.

VISCOPLEX 10-320
Recommended additive for RME general low temperature improvement in FAME sources or blends which may not give optimum response to VISCOPLEX 10-330 or 10-305.

Handling and Applying RohMax Products

VISCOPLEX additives are viscous liquids. In bulk form, they are more easily handled when heated, or when pre-diluted and stored in mixtures with biodiesel to lower the viscosity. When dissolved in fuel, the final mix needs to be made at elevated temperature (>40C) to ensure full solubilization, but more importantly, to ensure full interaction of the VISCOPLEX with the waxy structures formed on cooling. Full guidelines on handling and applying VISCOPLEX products are available. Please contact us for samples and advice, or visit www.rohmax.com.

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The RohMax Biodiesel Commitment

RohMax is investing in research to further develop Cold Flow Improver technology for biodiesel.

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This information and all further technical advice is based on our present knowledge and experience. However, they imply no liability or other legal responsibility on our part, including with regard to existing third party intellectual property rights, especially patent rights. In particular, no warranty, whether express or implied, or guarantee of product properties in the legal sense is intended or implied. We reserve the right to make any changes according to technological progress or further developments. The customer is not released from the obligation to conduct careful inspection and testing of incoming goods. Performance of the product described herein should be verified by testing, which should be carried out only by qualified experts in the sole responsibility of the customer. Reference to trade names used by other companies is neither a recommendation, nor does it imply that similar products could not be used. VISCOPLEX is a registered trademark of Evonik RohMax Additives GmbH. 04/2008 Evonik RohMax Additives GmbH

Europe, Africa, Mideast

Americas

Asia Pacific Evonik RohMax Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. 3 International Business Park 07-18 Nordic European Centre Singapore 609927
PHONE

Evonik RohMax Additives GmbH Evonik RohMax USA, Inc. 723 Electronic Drive Kirschenallee 64293 Darmstadt Horsham, Pennsylvania 19044-2228 Germany PHONE +1 215 706 5800 PHONE +49 6151 1809 TOLL-FREE 1 888 876 4629

+65 6899 0080

www.rohmax.com info-rohmax-cfi@evonik.com