Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026

Ultrasonic-Assisted Preparation of Biodiesel Products from Vegetable Oils
Published on: April 19, 2024
Physical properties of normal grade biodiesel and winter grade biodiesel
Amir Reza Sadrolhosseini1, Mohd Maarof Moksin, Harrison Lau Lik Nang
1Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; E-Mails: maarof@science.upm.edu.my (M.M.M.); monir.noroozi@gmail.com (M.N.); mahmood@science.upm.edu.my (W.M.M.Y.); azmizak@science.upm.edu.my (A.Z.).
Abstract:
In this study, optical and thermal properties of normal grade and winter grade palm oil biodiesel were investigated. Surface Plasmon Resonance and Photopyroelectric technique were used to evaluate the samples. The dispersion curve and thermal diffusivity were obtained. Consequently, the variation of refractive index, as a function of wavelength in normal grade biodiesel is faster than winter grade palm oil biodiesel, and the thermal diffusivity of winter grade biodiesel is higher than the thermal diffusivity of normal grade biodiesel. This is attributed to the higher palmitic acid C(16:0) content in normal grade than in winter grade palm oil biodiesel.
Related Concept Videos
Biofuels
Physical Properties of Alkanes
Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties
Physical Properties of Ethers
An ether molecule has a net dipole moment due to the polarity of C–O bonds. Subsequently, boiling points of ethers are lower than those of alcohols of comparable molecular weight and slightly higher than those of hydrocarbons of comparable molecular weight (Table 1).
Ethers can act as hydrogen bond acceptors, making them more water-soluble than hydrocarbons, but since ethers cannot act as hydrogen bond donors, they are much less soluble in water than alcohols. Ethers are considered...
Physical Properties of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
Among the carboxylic acid derivatives, the boiling points of acid chlorides and esters are very similar and are the lowest in the series. Acid anhydrides have slightly higher boiling...
Physical Properties Affecting Solubility
As for any solution, the solubility of a gas in a liquid is affected by the attractive intermolecular forces between solute and solvent species. Unlike solid and liquid solutes, however, there is no solute-solute intermolecular attraction to overcome when a gaseous solute dissolves in a liquid solvent since the atoms or molecules comprising a gas are far separated and experience negligible interactions. Consequently, solute-solvent interactions are the sole...

