Rapeseed oil methyl eaters with low phosphorus content

The phosphorus content in rapeseed oil methyl esters (RMEs) used as an alte rnative diesel engine fuel is an important indicator of the fuel quality be cause it affects the function of automobile catalytic converters. In this s tudy, preparation procedures of RMEs with a phosphorus content of 0.1-1 mg kg(-1) are described. Oil with a phosphorus content below 20 mg kg(-1) can be obtained by cold pressing of rapeseeds. After few simple refining steps, RMEs prepared from this oil contain less than 1 mg kg(-1) of phosphorus. E ven enzymatic degumming of a rapeseed oil prepared by pressing and extracti on with a high phosphorus content of about 600 mg kg(-1) results in a phosp horus content in final RMEs lower than 1 mg kg(-1). The use of short-path w iped-film evaporators for distilling raw RMEs prepared even from untreated rapeseed oil leads to a phosphorus level in the distilled RME lower than 0. 1 mg kg(-1).