A product derived from palm tree oil is used as an alternative fuel in diesel engines - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 18 - 2009 - Paper 1

The term that best describes the mixture of compounds X, Y, and Z produced from palm oil during the conversion process is 'biodiesel'. Biodiesel is typically a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) resulting from the transesterification of triglycerides present in palm oil with methanol, in this case facilitated by the NaOH catalyst.

In more detail, the process begins with palm oil, which contains triglycerides. When reacted with methanol in the presence of the NaOH catalyst, the triglycerides undergo transesterification, yielding glycerol and fatty acid methyl esters. The compounds X, Y, and Z refer to the various FAMEs produced during this reaction, which constitute the biodiesel, suitable for use in diesel engines.