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A product derived from palm tree oil is used as an alternative fuel in diesel engines - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 18 - 2009 - Paper 1
Question 18
A product derived from palm tree oil is used as an alternative fuel in diesel engines. Palm oil is converted to biodiesel by the following reaction. 
Answer
The mixture of compounds X, Y, and Z in palm oil biodiesel can be best described as a mix of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). This is because during the transesterification process, triglycerides from palm oil react with methanol in the presence of a catalyst (in this case, NaOH), producing glycerol and FAMEs as the main products. These FAMEs serve as biodiesel, making the mixture a renewable alternative to conventional diesel.