Biodiesel Production from a Novel Nonedible Feedstock, Soursop (Annona muricata L.) Seed Oil

Chia-Hung Su,Hoang Nguyen,Horng-Yi Juan,Uyen Pham,My Nguyen

doi:10.3390/en11102562

Abstract

This study investigated the optimal reaction conditions for biodiesel production from soursop (Annona muricata) seeds. A high oil yield of 29.6% (w/w) could be obtained from soursop seeds. Oil extracted from soursop seeds was then converted into biodiesel through two-step transesterification process. A highest biodiesel yield of 97.02% was achieved under optimal acid-catalyzed esterification conditions (temperature: 65 °C, 1% H2SO4, reaction time: 90 min, and a methanol:oil molar ratio: 10:1) and optimal alkali-catalyzed transesterification conditions (temperature: 65 °C, reaction time: 30 min, 0.6% NaOH, and a methanol:oil molar ratio: 8:1). The properties of soursop biodiesel were determined and most were found to meet the European standard EN 14214 and American Society for Testing and Materials standard D6751. This study suggests that soursop seed oil is a promising biodiesel feedstock and that soursop biodiesel is a viable alternative to petrodiesel.

Highlights

Fossil fuel depletion and environmental concerns have stimulated the search for alternative fuels from renewable sources
To maximize the biodiesel yield from oils with high free fatty acid (FFA) levels, esterification must be performed to reduce the level of FFAs prior to transesterification [31,34,35]
The two-step process of acid-catalyzed esterification followed by alkali-transesterification was selected for biodiesel synthesis from soursop seed oil in this study

Summary

Introduction

Fossil fuel depletion and environmental concerns have stimulated the search for alternative fuels from renewable sources. The use of biodiesel results in relatively low environmental pollution because biodiesel is sulfur free and emits minimal carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons [3,4,5]. Because of these merits, biodiesel has been developed worldwide to replace petrodiesel. The acid oils (fatty acid content >1%, w/w) should be esterified using an acid catalyst to lower the oil acidity before applying an alkali catalyst to transesterify the oil into biodiesel [31,32,33] This two-step process minimizes soap formation and enhances biodiesel yield [31,34,35]

Methods

Results

Conclusion