Environmentally friendly properties of vegetable oil methyl esters

• Published in: Oléagineux corps gras lipides Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 308 - 313
• Main Authors: GATEAU, Paul, VAN DIEVOET, Francois, BOUILLON, Vincent, VERMEERSCH, Georges, CLAUDE, Sylvain, STAAT, Frédéric
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Montrouge Libbey-Eurotext 01.07.2005; EDP Sciences
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; biodegradability; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; ecotoxicity; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Energy; environmental properties; Exact sciences and technology; fatty acid methyl esters; Fuels; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; General aspects; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; toxicity; Toxicology; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion; Various organic compounds; vegetable oil methyl esters; vegetable oil methyl esters; environmental properties; Biodegradability; Diesel fuel; Toxicity; Cladocera; Fatty ester; Biofuel; Vegetable oil; Energy industry; ecotoxicity; Crustacea; Oils and fats industry; fatty acid methyl esters; Toxicology; Sunflower oil; Pisces; Daphnia; Bacteria; Irritant compound; Branchiopoda; Fatty acid methyl ester; Derived product; Organic compounds; Thallophyta; Ecotoxicology; Algae; Biosafety; Rapeseed oil; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Alternative motor fuel; Arthropoda; Environment impact; Air pollution; Poison; Water pollution; Invertebrata; Environmental protection
• ISSN: 1258-8210; 2257-6614; 1950-697X
• DOI: 10.1051/ocl.2005.0308

Measurements were carried out on Vegetable Oil Methyl Esters (VOME or FAME) answering the most recent specifications. The products tested are RME (Rapeseed oil Methyl Ester), ERME (Erucic Rapeseed oil Methyl Esters), SME (Sunflower oil Methyl Esters), and HOSME (High Oleic Sunflower oil Methyl Esters). They contain more than 99.5% of fatty acid mono esters. The compositions are given. VOME are not volatile and they are not easily flammable. They are not soluble in water and they are biodegradable. According to the methods implemented for the determination of the German classification of substances hazardous to waters WGK, they are not toxic on mammals and unlike diesel fuel they are not toxic on fish, daphnia, algae and bacteria. The RME is not either toxic for shrimps. According to tests on rabbits, RME and SME are not irritating for the skin and the eyes. VOME display particularly attractive environmental properties.