TALL OIL-BASED CETANE ENHANCER FOR DIESEL FUEL

Arbokem Inc. of Vancouver has recently acquired exclusive worldwide rights from Natural Resources Canada to manufacture and market a cetane enhancer. The patented technology was developed by the Saskatchewan Research Council under the sponsorship of Natural Resources Canada. It is based on the catalytic hydrotreatment of biomass oils. Typically, the cetane enhancer would be admired with diesel fuel in the range of 5 to 30% by volume. This ''green'' diesel blend meets the essential quality characteristics of viscosity, pour point, cloud point, corrosivity, etc. of the basic diesel fuel. The feedstock for this novel technology can be any biomass oils such as tall oil, palm oil, coconut oil, aspen oil and birch oil. Canadian tall oil is probably the most practical feedstock for the manufacture of cetane enhancers for low-quality diesel fuel. Pilot plant testing of this process for the conversion of tall oil into cetane enhancers for diesel fuel is presently in progress.