FEATURES OF BIOFUEL APPLICATION IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

The paper provides study results on the properties of biofuels based on methyl ethers of vegetable oils. Using an automatic analyzer, the author determined the fractional composition of biofuel. The content of free water in ethers when assessing hygroscopicity was determined by coulometric titration according to the Fisher method. The compatibility of these products with various structural materials was determined. It was found that the fractional composition of methyl ethers of rapeseed and sunfl ower oil differs signifi cantly from the indicators of commercial diesel fuel and is characterized by a narrow range of fractionation. This makes it diffi cult to use pure ethers instead of diesel fuel, so it is advisable to use these products in the form of mixtures
with diesel fuel. When ethers come into contact with rubber parts of fuel system equipment, rubber swelling and the destruction of some parts are observed. The mass of rubber samples contacting for 12 days with ethers of vegetable oils increased by 18…25%, and the surface area – by 12…17%. It is proposed that gasket and sealing parts of equipment designed for operation with ethers should be replaced with tetrafl uoroethylene (fl uoroplast), etc. It is established that protective coatings made of phenolalkide enamel ФА-5278 do not withstand contact with ethers. Since ethers of vegetable oils are hygroscopic, it is recommended that
they should be stored in closed containers to prevent their contact with moisture.