A new visual test for p-quinone and its relevance to the biodiesel industry

Abstract

The production of biodiesel fuel (BDF) from vegetable oil using a co-solvent such as acetone has been demonstrated to be a green technique for large scale production of BDF under ambient conditions. However, it is the acetone removal step which involves input of energy and, therefore, any optimization of the acetone recovery process in terms of heating duration will make it more cost effective. The presence of acetone in the BDF synthesized according to the above technique can be routinely monitored using laborious spectroscopic techniques. However, colour specific tests will prove to be quick, convenient, less expensive and can be performed by an individual on the production site as frequently as required. Herein we report a new colour test for the detection of acetone which can also be applied to the detection of tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), a well-known antioxidant in vegetable oil and BDF.