Enhancing the oxidation stability of Mahua oil methyl ester with the addition of natural antioxidants

Abstract

ABSTRACTA rapid decrease in the availability of non-renewable fossil fuels has initiated the search for alternative fuels. Biodiesel obtained from various feedstocks has proved to be an effective alternative source for diesel engines due to its convincing fuel characteristics. The oxidation property of biodiesel is influenced by external factors such as sunlight and exposure to atmosphere.The oxidation stability of biodiesel can be improved by the addition of antioxidants which may be synthetic or natural. Natural antioxidants are more effective than synthetic ones in terms of economic value as well as prevention of adverse carcinogenic effects. Natural antioxidants, namely, ginger, Moringa oleifera, oregano, basil, and clove were extracted and used for the present study. The antioxidant activity of the additives was analyzed by DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity. The DPPH scavenging effect was calculated in terms of % by using absorbance values recorded with UV spectrophotometer. Among the antioxidants used, clove additive was found to be more efficient in enhancing the oxidation stability, with scavenging effect of 42.23%, 47.67%, 51.62%, and 55.61% for 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 ppm, respectively. It was also observed that the scavenging activity increased with the concentration of antioxidant additives, and the maximum value was recorded at a concentration of 2000 ppm. Mahua oil methyl ester (MOME) was selected as biodiesel for the present study for which the oxidation stability has to be evaluated. The oxidation stability of MOME was measured in terms of induction period using the Rancimat method which does not meet the required standards. The oxidation stability of MOME, MOME + ginger 2000, MOME + M. oleifera 2000, MOME + oregano 2000, MOME + basil 2000, and MOME + clove 2000 was evaluated. The highest induction period was observed to be 38.44 h for MOME + clove 2000 blend. Hence, clove additive was found to be more effective among the selected natural antioxidants in terms of increasing the scavenging effect as well as increasing the oxidation stability of MOME. Thus, the addition of natural antioxidants can be recommended to improve the oxidation stability of biodiesel based on their scavenging effect which can be further validated by means of the Rancimat method in terms of the induction period