Tabebuia rosea: a prospective non-edible biodiesel feedstock

Abstract

The need to seek non-conventional seed oil sources for biodiesel production is significant due to issues including limited supply, increasing demand and availability as well as food versus fuel. In this context, Tabebuia rosea seed oil was investigated for the first time, as a potential non-conventional feedstock for preparation of biodiesel, as it is suitable for production in a variety of atmospheric conditions, easy to cultivate, and has a high fruit production rate and low cost of cultivation. Tabebuia rosea seeds were collected and processed and oil was extracted by Soxhlet extraction. The important physical and chemical properties of the extracted seed oil were experimentally analysed. The crude oil was transesterified under standard conditions with sodium methoxide as catalyst, to produce Tabebuia rosea oil methyl ester (TOME). The quality of TOME/biodiesel produced was assessed in terms of physico-chemical parameters such as kinematic viscosity, flash point, ash content, acid value, calorific value and sulphur content, which are the most important properties of a fuel for application in engines. Analysis revealed the tested parameters were comparable with American Society for Testing (ASTM) D6751 and Indian Standards (IS) 15607 standard specifications for biodiesel samples. It was concluded that T. rosea seed oil is a satisfactory feedstock for biodiesel production.