Transesterification of vegetable oil of higuerilla (ricinuscommunis l) for biofuel generation and cost determination

Abstract

The limited use of natural resources that are possessed, which implies endemic flora (shrubs, herbs, etc.) and production waste ( leaf litter, various plant fibers, cattle manure, poultry, etc.), which are stacked for later burning and consequently causing pollution to the environment, are some of the problems that are generated at the farm level. The objective of the research was to generate biofuel derived from the mixture of methanol, sodium hydroxide and fig oil in the Mis 2 Principitos del Comuna El Limón farm, Portoviejo canton. Within the methodology to produce biodiesel or biofuel through the transesterification process, castor oil obtained from the fig seed, methanol (methyl alcohol) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) (acid or catalyst) were used. By means of the transesterification in which 0.001 m3 of castor oil, 0.0001 m3 of methanol and 0.01 Kg of potassium hydroxide were used under conditions of an approximate temperature of 60 ° C and 40 rpm of agitation in the stirrer plate, it resulted in 0.001 m3 of biodiesel. Biodiesel can be generated from fig or castor oil, taking advantage of a biomass energy source, which can be used in pump engines for irrigation in farms.