Biophysicochemical evaluation and micropropagation study of Jatropha curcas and Ricinus communis for biodiesel production

The upcoming energy sources of Jatropha curcas and Ricinus communis promise to mitigate the energy crisis and environmental pollution belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family. Both of them have been researched in terms of availability, cost, and biochemical parameters. The seed oils of various jatropha and castor biotypes were screened out and evaluated for their physiochemical parameters viz. oil content (34–49%), biodiesel yield (30–81%), density (0.875–0.971 g/cm³), viscosity (0.6032–2.004 mm³/s), iodine value (75–450.45 mg/g), free fatty acid value (0.986–3.400 mg/g), saponification value (59.29–93.79 mg/g), flash point (133–218°C), fire point (163–262°C), fatty acid composition, and ash content (0.065–0.398%), and were estimated for comparison between jatropha and castor biotypes. Various combinations of auxins with cytokinins were used for a regeneration study. The best shoot regeneration (70%) was observed in MS medium supplemented with NAA (0.5 ppm) and BAP (2.5 ppm). Root induction (95%) was successfully obtained in plane MS. Acclimatization and hardening was quite successful with a survival rate of 70%.     

Biophysicochemical evaluation and micropropagation study of Jatropha curcas L. collections for biodiesel production

Jatropha curcas, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, is an upcoming energy source, which promises to mitigate the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Jatropha curcas oil is looked up in terms of availability and cost and also has several applications and enormous economic benefits. The seed oils of five Jatropha curcas biotypes were screened and evaluated for their physiochemical parameters, viz. oil content (20–43%), biodiesel yield (48–66%), density (.866–.969 g/cm³), viscosity (50.12–93.79 mm³/s), iodine value (232.738–457.16 mg/g), free fatty acid (18.847–7.614 mg/g), saponification value (59.29–93.79 mg/g), flash point (125–220°C), fire point (155–260°C) and ash content (.19–.399%), which were estimated for selection of the elite Jatropha curcas biotype. The best shoot regeneration (60%) was observed in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with naphthalene acetic acid (0.5 ppm) and benzyl amino purine (2.0 ppm). Root induction (90%) was successfully obtained in plain MS. Acclimatisation and hardening was quite successful with survival rate of 70%.     

Sustainability issues for promotion of Jatropha biodiesel in Indian scenario: A review

Jatropha, a non-edible oil seed yielding plant has been identified by the Government of India to produce biodiesel under National Biodiesel Mission. Failure of National Biodiesel Mission Phase-I requires critical analysis of all the possible facts related to its long-term sustainability. Present work identifies important sustainability issues related to promotion of Jatropha biodiesel in India. These sustainability issues have been regrouped in four major categories: technological, environmental, economic and social. This paper attempts to explore various sustainability issues taking into account the recent Indian experiences with possible government support/initiatives for successful adoption of Jatropha biodiesel in Indian scenario.     

Chemical conversion of Calophyllum inophyllum oil into bio-hydrocarbons fuel over presulfided NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst

Chemical conversion of Calophyllum inophyllum oil (raw oil) over presulfided NiMo/Al₂O₃ catalyst was conducted to generate organic liquid products (OLP) containing bio-hydrocarbons (OLP-1). Reacted in ±273 mL autoclave for 200 minutes at 375°C, P_H2 of 1 MPa, and 1% of catalyst loading, the raw oil was converted into 78.24% OLP-1 with a heating value of 47.93 MJ/kg. The OLP was refined through distillation and grouped into boiling point (bp) range as 13.9% of gasoline (bp at 72.6°C-184°C), 10.8% of kerosene (bp at 184.1°C-235°C), 47.9% of diesel oil (bp at 235.1°C-400°C), and 26.3% of heavy fractions (bp at 400.1°C-688.5°C). Besides OLP-1, oxygenated compounds (OLP-2) were also contained as by-products. The catalytic reaction mechanism of C inophyllum oil was also confirmed using fatty acid model compounds. The OLP-1 mainly consisted of paraffinic hydrocarbons of C10-C18.     

Pressurized ultrasonic production of biodiesel from Jatropha oil: optimization and energy analysis

The present study deals with the development of a biodiesel production reactor based on pressurized ultrasonic cavitation technique. Transesterification of Jatropha oil takes place by passing low-frequency ultrasonic irradiation in the reaction mixture flowing at pressurized conditions in the sonochemical reactor. Reaction variables such as reaction time, molar ratio, catalyst concentration, and pressure of the reaction mixture were investigated to find the optimal parameters for biodiesel production. The energy requirement decreases with increase in pressure. Very low value of Specific Energy Consumption (0.018 kWh/kg) and significantly high value of Energy Use Index (598.83) are obtained when the pressure of reaction mixture is 15 bar. Increasing the pressure thereafter, leads to nominal gains. Ultrasonic irradiation at high-pressure condition has an additional advantage of rapid reaction and lower requirement of alcohol to oil molar ratio and catalyst concentration. Fifteen bar pressure is optimal for biodiesel production.     

Environmental and economic feasibility of palm oil biodiesel in the Mexican transportation sector

This study analyses the environmental and economic feasibility of producing palm oil-based biodiesel in Mexico in order to substitute of diesel fuel consumption using B5 until 2015 and B10 from 2016 to 2031 in the transportation sector. Two scenarios were created by projecting demand and costs for biodiesel as well as greenhouse gases emissions reduction over the next 26 years. In the environmental section, avoided emissions of Particulate matter, Total Hydrocarbons, Carbon Monoxide, Sulphur Dioxide, and Carbon Dioxide as well as the increase in Nitrous Oxide emissions were estimated for each scenario. In the economic section, a cost–benefit analysis of biodiesel substitution was implemented, and mitigation costs of Carbon Dioxide were estimated. Our results show that the feasibility of palm oil biodiesel use is directly related to the implementation of fiscal incentives, such as the exemption from tax (Special Tax on Production and Services).     

Effect of agglomerated NiMo HZSM-5 catalyst for the hydrocracking reaction of Jatropha curcas oil

Catalytic hydrocracking of Jatropha curcas oil over ZSM-5-supported catalyst was carried out to produce biofuels. The agglomerated catalyst was successfully prepared by a simple technique and characterized using several techniques. The hydrocracking reactions were studied in a batch reactor at 400°C under initial H₂ atmosphere for 2 h reaction using 1 wt% catalyst loading. The effect of agglomerated catalysts on the yield of liquid fuels and hydrocarbon number distribution was discussed. The results showed that the hydrocarbon distribution largely changed depending on the type of catalyst. The powder catalysts seem selectively to produce hydrocarbon in the diesel range (C₁₂–C₂₂), whereas gasoline (C₅–C₁₂) and kerosene (C₈–C₁₆) had high formation after agglomerated catalyst was used. For agglomerated NiMo ZSM-5 catalyst, hydrocracking of Jatropha curcas oil produced more hydrocarbons in the gasoline range (about 43.23% in liquid fuels).     

Optimization of long-term storage stability of Jatropha curcas biodiesel using antioxidants by means of response surface methodology

The present paper reports the results of the study of the effect of metal contaminants on the storage stability of Jatropha curcas biodiesel (JCB) with and without antioxidants. Taking 1,2,3 -Trihydroxybenzene/Pyrogallol (PY) as the most effective antioxidant based on the earlier work of the authors, JCB was mixed with different transition metals – Fe, Ni, Mn, Co and Cu in different concentrations. Induction period (IP) was measured using Rancimat method (EN 14112) as the stability parameter. Based on results, several correlations were developed for assessing the storage stability in terms of IP as a function of antioxidant, metal concentration and storage time. For the purpose of design of experiment, response surface methodology (RSM) has been used. From the experiments it is found that if metal concentration is 0 then, 200 g m⁻³ of PY is sufficient to make biodiesel stable for 6 months. If metal (Fe) concentration is 2 g m⁻³ or more, then 800 g m⁻³ PY is sufficient to make biodiesel stable for 5.5 months. The value of storage time for Ni, Mn, Co and Cu contaminated JCB is found as 3.62, 3.24, 2.76 and 2.07 months respectively if metal and antioxidants concentration is same in all the cases.The models developed by RSM shall be highly useful for predicting the optimum antioxidant concentration to achieve maximum storage stability of JCB as well as biodiesel from other resources under the conditions set for 3 factors (antioxidant concentration, metal concentration and time).     

Life cycle assessment of biodiesel from Jatropha Curcas L oil. A case study of Cuba

The aim of this research is to identify and quantify the categories which have the largest environmental impact in the biodiesel production process from Jatropha curcas L oil. The Jatropha curcas L is selected due to its availability in Cuba, so 400 L/d was defined as a functional unit. The valorization analysis was conducted taking into account the conventional Jatropha curcas L oil production. The analysis is conducted based on several factors such as the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and agriculture wastes. The activities of agriculture and industrial stages are shown. The Life Cycle Assessment is addressed according to the ISO 14040 series, by using the Ecoinvent database 2003 and the Eco-indicator 99 methodology. Based on the obtained results, the environmental performance of the production of biodiesel from Jatropha curcas L oil has a good environmental behavior. The agriculture stage shows the greatest impact due to land use and fossil fuel depletion. In addition, electricity has the highest impact due to respiratory effects from the emission of tiny material particles into the atmosphere.     

Properties and use of jatropha curcas oil and diesel fuel blends in compression ignition engine

In the present investigation the high viscosity of the jatropha curcas oil which has been considered as a potential alternative fuel for the compression ignition (C.I.) engine was decreased by blending with diesel. The blends of varying proportions of jatropha curcas oil and diesel were prepared, analyzed and compared with diesel fuel. The effect of temperature on the viscosity of biodiesel and jatropha oil was also studied. The performance of the engine using blends and jatropha oil was evaluated in a single cylinder C.I. engine and compared with the performance obtained with diesel. Significant improvement in engine performance was observed compared to vegetable oil alone. The specific fuel consumption and the exhaust gas temperature were reduced due to decrease in viscosity of the vegetable oil. Acceptable thermal efficiencies of the engine were obtained with blends containing up to 50% volume of jatropha oil. From the properties and engine test results it has been established that 40–50% of jatropha oil can be substituted for diesel without any engine modification and preheating of the blends.     

A green catalyst for biodiesel production from jatropha oil: Optimization study

In this study, a simple and solvent-free method was used to prepare sulfated zirconia-alumina (SZA) catalyst. Its catalytic activity was subsequently investigated for the transesterification of Jatropha curcas L. oil to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). The effects of catalyst preparation parameters on the yield of FAME were investigated using Design of Experiment (DOE). Results revealed that calcination temperature has a quadratic effect while calcination duration has a linear effect on the yield of FAME. Apart from that, interaction between both variables was also found to significantly affect the yield of FAME. At optimum condition; calcination temperature and calcination duration at 490 °C and 4 h, respectively, an optimum FAME yield of 78.2 wt% was obtained. Characterization with XRD, IR and BET were then used to verify the characteristic of SZA catalyst with those prepared using well established method and also to describe the catalyst characteristic with its activity.     

Is it better to import palm oil from Thailand to produce biodiesel in Ireland than to produce biodiesel from indigenous Irish rape seed?

The proposed EU Directive on the promotion of Renewable Energy stipulates that only biofuels that achieve greenhouse emissions savings of 35% will be eligible for inclusion with respect to meeting the 2020 target of 10% for the share of biofuels. This paper examines biodiesel for use in Ireland, produced from two different sources: indigenous rape seed and palm oil imported from Thailand. The palm oil system generates more biodiesel per hectare than the rape seed system, and has less parasitic demand. Greenhouse-gas reductions of 29% and 55%, respectively were calculated for the rape seed and palm oil systems.     

Effect of natural,accelerated and saturated salt accelerated aging on the Jatropha curcas L. seeds in optimizing the yield of seed oil as feedstock for biodiesel

Uninterrupted and good quality of feedstock is a key factor for biodiesel. Jatropha curcas L. has emerged as a favorite unconventional source of fuel. This paper aims to map the changes in Jatropha curcas L. oil, extracted from seeds subjected to natural aging (NA), accelerated aging (AA) and saturated salt accelerated aging (SSAA) are two methods employed to mimic natural aging. The results depicted that prolonged and intense aging decreased the oil yield and caused deterioration of the oil with a high free fatty acids content, saponification value, peroxide value, and low iodine value. Decrease in oleic acid content is the result of lipid peroxidation due to prolonged storage. However, Jatropha curcas L. seeds subjected to natural aging even up to one year could still serve as the best feedstock because of its resistance towards deteriorative aging effects.     

Biodiesel from palmoil—an analysis of its properties and potential

If the agricultural products market is limited and much of agricultural land is not utilized as is the case in many countries in the world at present, then agriculture should be directed to the production of new alternative products. The land can be used to produce non-food products including biodiesels for the domestic energy market to diminish imports. Much research has been done on biodiesels over the last 20 yr after the oil crisis in 1973. At present, concern about environmental regulations has been the major reason to look for alternative fuel. A significant level in terms of physico-chemical properties of biodiesel has been obtained but there is a lack of full or partial replacement of fossil fuel that needs to be discussed.

This paper presents the experimental results carried out to evaluate the effect of anticorrosion additive in biodiesel (from palm oil) on diesel engines, performance, emissions and wear characteristics. This biodiesel is defined as the methyl ester of palm oil also known as palm oil diesel. The results of this investigation will be used to find compatible lubricant for biodiesel engine.     

小桐油制备生物柴油的研究

实验研究了以小桐子油为原料,采用循环气相酯化-酯交换-水蒸气蒸馏法制备生物柴油的工艺过程。着重研究了降低原料酸值以及酯交换过程的优化条件。试验结果表明。气相酯化法可在很短的时间内将原料的酸值降到酯交换对原料的酸值要求;酯交换反应的最佳操作条件为：甲醇用量为油重的20％,催化剂用量为油重的1％左右,反应温度为60—70℃,反应时间为90—120min。     

Comparison of biodiesel production from crude Jatropha oil and Krating oil by supercritical methanol transesterification

This work compared the production of biodiesel from two different non-edible oils with relatively high acid values (Jatropha oil and Krating oil). Using non-catalytic supercritical methanol transesterification, high methyl ester yield (85–90%) can be obtained in a very short time (5–10 min). However, the dependence of fatty acid methyl ester yield on reaction conditions (i.e., temperature and pressure) and the optimum conditions were different by the source of oils and were correlated to the amount of free fatty acids (FFAs) and unsaturated fatty acid content in oils. Krating oil, which has higher FFAs and unsaturated fatty acid content, gave higher fatty acid methyl ester yield of 90.4% at 260 °C, 16 MPa, and 10 min whereas biodiesel from Jatropha oil gave fatty acid methyl ester yield of 84.6% at 320 °C, 15 MPa and 5 min using the same molar ratio of methanol to oil 40:1. The product quality from crude Krating oil met the biodiesel standard. Pre-processing steps such as degumming or oil purification are not necessary.     

Potential of waste palm cooking oil for catalyst-free biodiesel production

Disposal of waste palm cooking oil (WPCO) via an environmental-friendly route is of major importance in the quest for sustainable development. In this study, WPCO was utilized instead of refined vegetable oils as the source of triglycerides for biodiesel production. WPCO contains several impurities, such as water and free fatty acids, which limit its application in catalytic transesterification processes. Consequently, a catalyst-free process using supercritical methanol was employed to investigate the potential of WPCO as an economical feedstock for biodiesel production. The parameters that influence the reaction, including reaction time, temperature and the molar ratio of alcohol to oil, were investigated. For comparison purposes, refined palm oil (RPO) was also subjected to supercritical methanol reaction and it was found that both processes produced comparable optimum yields of 80% at their respective optimum conditions. Hence, it can be concluded that WPCO has high potential as an economical and practical future source of biodiesel.     

History and policy of biodiesel in Brazil

Historically, during petroleum shortage, vegetable oils and their derivatives have been proposed as alternatives to petroleum diesel fuel. Since 1930, different approaches have been proposed by Brazilian's universities and research institutes, including the use of neat vegetable oils (pure or in blends) or their derivatives, such as hydrocarbons obtained by thermal-catalytic cracking and fatty acids’ methyl or ethyl esters (nowadays known as “biodiesel”) produced by alcoholysis. Recently, the external dependence on imported diesel fuel and the present petroleum crisis have increased the discussion in Brazil in the sense of starting to use alternatives to diesel fuel, biodiesel being the main alternative for a large petroleum diesel substitution program.     

Environmental aspects and challenges of oilseed produced biodiesel in Southeast Asia

Research on alternative fuel for the vehemently growing number of automotivesis intensified due to environmental reasons rather than turmoil in energy price and supply. From the policy and steps to emphasis the use of biofuel by governments all around the world, this can be comprehended that biofuel have placed itself as a number one substitute for fossil fuels. These phenomena made Southeast Asia a prominent exporter of biodiesel. But thrust in biodiesel production from oilseeds of palm and Jatropha curcas in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand is seriously threatening environmental harmony. This paper focuses on this critical issue of biodiesels environmental impacts, policy, standardization of this region as well as on the emission of biodiesel in automotive uses. To draw a bottom line on feasibilities of different feedstock of biodiesel, a critical analysis on oilseed yield rate, land use, engine emissions and oxidation stability is reviewed. Palm oil based biodiesel is clearly ahead in all these aspects of feasibility, except in the case of NO_x where it lags from conventional petro diesel.     

Briquetting of palm fibre and shell from the processing of palm nuts to palm oil

Malaysia is the major producer of palm oil in the world. It produces 8.5 million tonnes per year (8.5×10⁶ ty⁻¹) of palm oil from 38.6×10⁶ ty⁻¹ of fresh fruit bunches. Palm oil production generates large amounts of process residues such as fibre (5.4×10⁶ ty⁻¹), shell (2.3×10⁶ ty⁻¹), and empty fruit bunches (8.8×10⁶ ty⁻¹). A large fraction of the fibre and much of the shell are used as fuel to generate process steam and electricity in the palm processing mill itself. However, much is wasted by pile burning in the open air with attendant air pollution, dumped in areas adjacent to the mill, or utilized as manure in the palm oil plantation. In this paper, an attempt has been made to convert these residues into solid fuel. The palm shell and fibre is densified into briquettes of diameter 40, 50 and 60 mm under moderate pressure of 5–13.5 MPa in a hydraulic press. Experiments are carried out to determine density, durability, impact and compressive strength of the briquettes. The heating value, burning characteristics, ash and moisture content are other objects of the study. A relationship between press pressure and the briquette density has been established. The produced briquettes have densities between 1100 and 1200 kgm⁻³. The briquettes properties are quite good with good resistance to mechanical disintegration, and will withstand wetting. The gross calorific value is about 16.4 MJkg⁻¹ (maf), and the ash content is about 6% and the equilibrium moisture content is about 12%. Further work is required to acquire complete understanding of the densification process before good quality and durable briquettes could be made free from cracks.