| Author | Message | ||
     Einstein |
I have been set a question based on the spectrum of fossil diesel. I need some help because I have been asked to find out why on the fossil diesel spectrum there is no peak at about 1740 cm-1 but there is in the spectrum for rape seed oil and biodiesel. Can anyone help? | ||
| hlmark |
What is "fossil diesel"? Since diesel fuel is a fairly modern invention, for running diesel engines on, I can't imagine how million-year-old samples could occur - or be fossilized. Howard What is "fossil diesel"> SInce diesel fuel is a fairly modern invention, for funning diesel engines on, I can't imagine how million-year-old samples could exist - or be fossilzed. Howard | ||
| Michael Herman |
Fossil diesel fuel is derived from petroleum resources, while rapeseed (canola) oil is obviously not. My guess is that the rapeseed oils contain some oxygenated or products which are not present in the diesel fuels. The canola oils are probably the polymerization product of a couple phenolic alcohols, with the possibility of a five carbon sugar stuck in with it. These would have decomposed already in fossil fuels. Michael | ||
| judith pink (Jpink) |
Canola oil [as all plant oils and animal fats] is composed of triacyl glycerols, i.e. of fatty acid esters. The 1740 cm-1 peak is characteristic of the carbonyl group. Fossil diesel fuel is a mixture of hydrocarbons, and contains no functional groups such as carbonyl. |