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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Bio-oils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #405069
Research Project: Versatile Biobased Products with Multiple Functions

Location: Bio-oils Research

Title: Characterization, physical properties, and applications of high oleic pennycress oil

Author
item Winfield, Demichael
item Dunn, Robert
item Moser, Jill

Submitted to: Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/6/2023
Publication Date: 8/27/2023
Citation: Winfield, D.D., Dunn, R.O., Winkler-Moser, J.K. 2023. Characterization, physical properties, and applications of high oleic pennycress oil. Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops Conference. 87.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pennycress is a winter annual that has been adapted as an off-season cover crop in the midwestern United States. As a non-food crop that can be grown in-between corn and soybean, it is an attractive source of seed oils. Our group has investigated the properties of several generations of modified pennycress oils for lubricant and biodiesel applications, including crude cress (CC), field pennycress (FP), and low erucic acid pennycress (LEAP). This study details the properties of a new generation, high oleic pennycress (HOP). The fatty acid composition along with phytosterol and tocopherol contents of HOP will be determined and compared to previous generations. The physical properties will also be analyzed, including cold flow properties, oxidative stability, viscosity, and lubricity. Finally, HOP will be converted into FAME’s and evaluated as a biodiesel. Previous studies have shown that the cold flow properties of CC are poor and were substantially improved in FP and LEAP. Additionally, the oxidative stability of CC is too low for many target applications, especially for biodiesel. FP’s oxidative stability was improved, but still poor due to its high percentage of oxidatively sensitive erucic acid. LEAP’s oxidative stability was further improved, but the resulting biodiesel from both still fail to meet the ASTM biodiesel fuel specification D6751. HOP was engineered such that it still maintains the low erucic acid content of LEAP while increasing the oleic acid content. This type of composition is advantageous for oxidative stability and biodiesel properties, as has been demonstrated with high oleic soy and sunflower oils. The properties of HOP biodiesel will be compared to previous generations as well as to the current standards for biodiesel.