Abstract
The global energy concern with the availability of recoverable fossil fuel reserves and the environmental problems caused by those fossil fuels, considerable attention has been given to biodiesel production as an alternative to petro diesel worldwide. In this research, the seed oil of Ricinus communis (castor bean) was investigated for its viability as a feedstock for biodiesel production. The oil was extracted from the seed using petroleum ether .The oil quality characteristics of the seed oil were; Acid values for both Ricinus communis oil and biodiesel, 4.208 and3.93, and free fatty acids for both Ricinus communis and biodiesel were 1.2408 and 2.508, saponification value (SV) for both Ricinus communis and biodiesel,, 185.0 and 173.16, specific gravity (S.G) for both Ricinus communis and biodiesel, 0.976g/ml and 0.935g/ml. the PH value for both Ricinus communis and biodiesel, 6.67 and 6.8. Refractive index for both Ricinus communis and biodiesel, 1.37 and 1.191, moisture content of seed, 0.052. Colour for both and Ricinus communis oil and biodiesel is brown colour and amber colour, respectively. The oil was transesterified using methanol and concentrated sulphuric acid. And with other investigated oils from the literature and were found to fall within acceptable limits, this implies that Ricinus communis seed oil could be used as diesel in combustion engines in tropical climates like Nigeria.
Highlights
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel for diesel engines that is produced by chemically reacting vegetable oil or animal fat with alcohol and catalysts
The physicochemical properties are important parameters that give significant information as well as the applications of the oil. These properties comprise of acid value, saponification value, PH, free fatty acids, specific gravity, refractive index, castor, moisture content, and colour
It could be concluded that the percentage oil content of Ricinus communis seed is found to be 39.33 %, As such a satisfactory result can be gotten by solvent extraction process by laboratory Soxhlet apparatus
Summary
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel for diesel engines that is produced by chemically reacting vegetable oil or animal fat with alcohol and catalysts. According to EU guidelines, the consumption of biofuels for road transportation should represent 20% of the total fuel consumption by 2020, and the use of biofuels will be stimulated by environmental aspects. For these reasons, biodiesel has become a popular topic in energy sources (Zhang et al, 2003). Biodiesel is implied to be operated in excellent diesel engines and is separated from the vegetable and waste oils operated in fuel converted diesel engines. Biodiesel provides a very lower global warming because the carbon in the fuel is detached from the air by the plant raw material (Sheehan et al, 1998)
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