Optimization of Transesterification Process for Biodiesel Production using Jatropha Oil
Lawrence Luka¹*, Salwa Mahmoud¹, Suleiman Alhaji Saidu²
¹Department of Chemistry, Adamawa State College of Education, Hong. Nigeria.
*Corresponding author’s e-mail: lawrenceluka1@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Biodiesel has attracted considerable attention during the past decade as a renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic fuel alternative to fossil fuels. Biodiesel can be obtained from vegetable oils (both edible and non-edible) and from animal fat. Biodiesel was produced through esterification of Jatropha oil using an alkaline catalyst. The process was carried out at the reaction temperatures of 63 and 55°C, with a 6:1-11:1 oil to methanol molar ratio, and the concentration was verified. In this research work, a yield of 91.78% and 80% was achieved. Furthermore, the flash point of 129.1°C obtained indicates that the biodiesel is within the specification of ASTM. Jatropha curcas Linnaeus, a multipurpose plant, contains a high amount of oil in its seeds which can be converted to biodiesel. J. curcas is probably the most highly promoted oilseed crop at present in the world. The availability and sustainability of sufficient supplies of less expensive feedstock in the form of vegetable oils, particularly J. curcas, and efficient processing technology to biodiesel will be crucial determinants of delivering competitive biodiesel. Oil contents, physicochemical properties, and fatty acid composition of J. curcas are reported in research. The fuel properties of Jatropha biodiesel are comparable to those of fossil diesel and conform to the ASTM standard. The objective of this review is to give an update on the J. curcas L. plant, the production of biodiesel from the seed oil, and research attempts to improve the technology of converting vegetable oil to biodiesel and the fuel properties of Jatropha biodiesel. There is also a need to carry out a life-cycle assessment and assess the environmental impacts of introducing large-scale plantations. Furthermore, there is still a dearth of research about the influence of various cultivation-related factors and their interactions and influence on seed yield. The formation of biodiesel was confirmed by FT-IR and GC-MS analysis, and the conversion of ester functional group into methyl esters was verified, and characteristic properties of biodiesel were successfully determined.
Keywords: Biodiesel, Jatropha oil, transesterification, catalyst, optimization, renewable energy and sustainability
CITE AS: Lawrence Luka, Salwa Mahmoud and Suleiman Alhaji Saidu (2024). Optimization of Transesterification Process for Biodiesel Production using Jatropha Oil. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MEDICAL SCIENCES,5(2):78-83. https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJRMS/2024/5.2.07883