RUDN University chemists have developed environmentally friendly fuel additives
Fuel additives improve engine performance and efficiency, help protect parts from wear and corrosion, clean the fuel system of deposits and contaminants, and reduce emissions. However, most traditional additives are harmful to the environment. This is due to their content of heavy metals - lead and manganese, as well as sulphur and chlorinated compounds. These elements accumulate in ecosystems, which causes imbalance and harms living organisms.
RUDN University chemists together with scientists from Iran, Ecuador and Spain have developed environmentally friendly fuel additives. Their use will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful substances by 30%, reduce air and soil pollution due to the absence of toxic components. It will also reduce the cost of operating vehicles and machinery by extending engine life and reducing repair costs. Potentially, the price of fuel will be reduced by 5-10% due to the use of additives derived from renewable sources.
“The developed additives, alkyllevulinate, are intended for use in diesel fuel. They are based on renewable sources – biomass and biodegradable components. The additives have high energy density and can be easily used in existing infrastructure. Due to their composition they increase cetane number (analogue of octane number in petrol) and promote more complete combustion of fuel,” Ilya Efimov Ph.D. in Chemistry, Deputy Director of the RUDN University Joint Institute for Chemical Research.
Alkyllevulinate was synthesised using phosphomolybdate as an efficient catalyst for the esterification reaction of levulinic acid with three different alcohols, such as ethanol, butanol-1 and hexanol-1.
Alkillevulinates are also used in the chemical industry to produce biodegradable plastics and other materials; in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries; and in the alternative energy industry as components for the creation of environmentally friendly fuels and oils.
The results of the study were published in the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiec.2024.06.018
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The project to develop a cellular model of the placenta became the winner in the Scientific Materials category of the Young Scientists 3.0 competition, organized with the support of the Presidential Grants Foundation and T-Bank.
Ten scientific journals published by RUDN University have been included in the highest level of the state list of scientific publications, the White List.
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