Excess Enthalpies Analysis of Biofuel Components: Sunflower Oil-Alcohols Systems

Area of Science:

• Sustainable Energy
• Thermochemistry
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Growing demand for sustainable energy solutions.
• Fossil fuels face environmental and economic challenges.
• Alcohols are explored as "green" alternatives, particularly in biofuels.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate thermochemical properties of alcohol-sunflower oil blends.
• Determine excess enthalpies of pseudo-binary mixtures.
• Evaluate alcohols (n-propanol, n-butanol, n-pentanol) as biofuel components.

Main Methods:

• Calorimetric analysis at 303.15 K.
• Preparation of pseudo-binary mixtures.
• Experimental determination of excess enthalpies.
• Modeling using NRTL and Redlich-Kister equations.

Main Results:

• Excess enthalpy trends showed concentration dependence.
• Molar excess enthalpy values were uniform despite alcohol structural differences.
• Peak excess enthalpies: 3255.2 J/mol (n-propanol), 3297.4 J/mol (n-butanol), 3150.1 J/mol (n-pentanol).
• NRTL and Redlich-Kister equations accurately predicted values.

Conclusions:

• Alcohol-sunflower oil blends exhibit consistent mixing behavior.
• The studied alcohols show potential for biofuel applications.
• Thermochemical data supports the viability of these green fuel alternatives.