Abstract
BackgroundIt is becoming imperative to develop renewable fuels such as biodiesel which are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Exploiting non-edible oils is more necessary to reduce dependency of edible oils for biodiesel production. The current study investigated biodiesel production from non-edible Salvadora persica seed oil (SPSO) and crude coconut oil (CCO) by Burkholderia cepacia lipase acting as a biocatalyst in a solvent-free system. The biodiesel yield produced from these feedstocks was compared and the effect of ethanol (acyl acceptor) vs. SPSO and CCO in various ratios on biodiesel production was determined.ResultsThe presence of medium-chain fatty acids in majority was confirmed for SPSO and CCO while the average molecular weight was calculated as 749.53 g/mol and 664.57 g/mol, respectively. Thin Layer Chromatography indicated ethyl esters in the produced Salvadora and coconut biodiesel samples. Maximum biodiesel yield (around 70%) was obtained at 1:4 oil-to-ethanol molar ratio from both oils followed by a decline at higher ratios. The gas chromatographic analysis of Salvadora biodiesel at 1:4 molar ratio showed that the yield of individual esters was mostly of medium- and long-chain fatty acids. The analysis of coconut biodiesel at 1:4 molar ratio revealed that it consists mainly of the esters of medium-chain fatty acids. A comparison of estimated properties of biodiesel from both the parent oils with the international standard showed that it meets most of the requirements.ConclusionThe study paves the way for a green route for biodiesel production and would promote the use of non-edible vegetable oils over edible ones to produce biodiesel. Further, it is a right step to use lipases in biodiesel production as compared to chemical catalysts. Ethanol, which can also be produced from biomass fermentation, can be used as acyl acceptor to produce biodiesel and this makes the process eco-friendly. Moreover, Burkholderia cepacia lipase is a good choice among lipases to get high biodiesel yields successfully from SPSO and CCO at low oil-to-ethanol molar ratios.
Highlights
The current world is in a dilemma as the demand of diminishing reserves of fossil fuels is rising in all sectors of life including industrial processes, power generation, and transport
Fatty acid profile of Salvadora persica root oil, Salvadora persica seed oil (SPSO), and coconut oil (CCO) With the idea of determining the fatty acid composition of the three oils, fatty acid profile was carried out and the results confirmed the presence of medium-chain fatty acids in majority for the oils that were used for biodiesel production
Biodiesel production from SPSO and CCO using Burkholderia cepacia lipase as biocatalyst in a solvent-free system was investigated in this study
Summary
The current world is in a dilemma as the demand of diminishing reserves of fossil fuels is rising in all sectors of life including industrial processes, power generation, and transport. One of the alternate and renewable fuel is biodiesel consisting of fatty acid alkyl esters and produced by Budhwani et al Bioresour. Biodiesel is usually produced from edible vegetable oil which is problematic as it raises the food vs fuel crisis. Exploiting non-edible oils is one of the solutions to reduce dependency of edible oils for biodiesel production. The non-edible oils are available in many regions of the world especially wastelands and they can be utilized to eliminate competition with food (Atabani et al 2012). Exploiting non-edible oils is more necessary to reduce dependency of edible oils for biodiesel production. The current study investigated biodiesel production from non-edible Salvadora persica seed oil (SPSO) and crude coconut oil (CCO) by Burkholderia cepacia lipase acting as a biocatalyst in a solvent-free system. The biodiesel yield produced from these feedstocks was compared and the effect of ethanol (acyl acceptor) vs. SPSO and CCO in various ratios on biodiesel production was determined
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