A Novel Route of Mixed Catalysis for Production of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters from Potential Seed Oil Sources

Shazia Perveen,Numrah Nisar,Muhammad Asif Hanif,Razyia Nadeem,Muhammad Waqar Azeem,Bryan R Moser,Fahad A Alharthi,Umer Rashid,Muhammad Zubair

doi:10.3390/catal11070811

Abstract

Depleting petroleum resources coupled with the environmental consequences of fossil fuel combustion have led to the search for renewable alternatives, such as biodiesel. In this study, sunflower (Helianthus annus), mustard (Brassica compestres) and pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) seed oils were converted into biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) by acid-, base- and lipase-catalyzed transesterification, and the resultant fuel properties were determined. The methyl esters displayed superior iodine values (102–139), low densities, and a high cetane number (CN). The highest yield of biodiesel was obtained from mustard seed oil, which provided cloud (CP) and pour (PP) points of −3.5 and 5 °C, respectively, and a CN of 53. The sunflower seed oil methyl esters had a density of 0.81–0.86 kg/L at 16 °C, CP of 2 °C, PP of −8 °C, and a CN of 47. The pearl millet seed oil methyl esters yielded a density 0.87–0.89 kg/L, CP and PP of 4 °C and −5 °C, respectively, and a CN of 46. The major fatty acids identified in the sunflower, mustard, and pearl millet seed oils were linolenic (49.2%), oleic acid (82.2%), and linoleic acid (73.9%), respectively. The present study reports biodiesel with ideal values of CP and PP, to extend the use of biodiesel at the commercial level.

Highlights

Fossil fuels are a major source of environmental pollution and anthropogenic emissions
Many sources, including sunflower, rapeseed, soyabean, jatropha, pongamia, waste cooking oil, grease, and algal oils, can be converted into biodiesel by transesterification, which is normally conducted in the presence of methanol and a catalyst [1,2]
This research was conducted to evaluate the possibility of using sunflower, mustard, and pearl millet seed oils as potential sources for biodiesel production, through the transesterification process

Summary

Introduction

Fossil fuels are a major source of environmental pollution and anthropogenic emissions. Huge quantities of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and particulate matter are released into the atmosphere due to the combustion of fossil fuels. Promising replacements for fossil fuels are biofuels, such as biodiesel. Biodiesel is a renewable alternative to petroleum diesel, and comes with a number of ecological and practical advantages. Many sources, including sunflower, rapeseed, soyabean, jatropha, pongamia, waste cooking oil, grease, and algal oils, can be converted into biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) by transesterification, which is normally conducted in the presence of methanol and a catalyst [1,2]. Transesterification consists of several consecutive, reversible reactions. In these reactions, the triglycerides are converted stepwise to

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