Crude Jatropha Oil Research Articles

Iron Oxide Catalysts Supported on Porous Silica for the Production of Biodiesel from Crude Jatropha Oil

AbstractA heterogeneous catalyst, FeOx/SiO2, prepared by the pore‐filling method, was found to be active in the transesterification of crude Jatropha oil with methanol. When the transesterification reaction was carried out with a reaction temperature of 220 °C, a catalyst amount of 15 wt%, a methanol/oil molar ratio of 218:1, and a reaction time of 3 h, the yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in the product exceeded 99.0 %, and met with EN standards for allowable contents of glycerine and mono‐, di‐, and tri‐glycerides. The correlation between the FAME production activity and measured acidity of the FeOx/SiO2 catalysts showed that the transesterification reaction was promoted via the acidic function of these catalysts, which are less inhibited by coexisting free fatty acids in the feedstock triglycerides.

Overview on the production of biodiesel from Jatropha curcas L. by using heterogenous catalysts

AbstractJatropha curcas oil (JCO) is considered a future feedstock for biodiesel production because it is easily grown in harsh environments and is a non‐edible crop that is not in demand as a food source. Three basic methods are used to produce biodiesel from oils/fats, namely the base‐catalyzed transesterification, acid‐catalyzed transesterification, and enzymatic catalysis. However, heterogeneous transesterification using a solid catalyst rather than a liquid acid or base catalyst is a more environmentally responsible way to utilize crude Jatropha oil for biodiesel production. The use of a heterogeneous catalyst also avoids neutralization and washing steps, thereby leading to a simpler and more efficient process. This paper presents an overview of the production of biodiesel from Jatropha Curcas Linnaeus (JCL) using a heterogeneous catalyst. This review also includes the current economic trend of biofuel production particularly on the production of biodiesel. Different types of conventional and advanced methods like ultrasound, microwave, membrane reactor, supercritical methanol, etc., using several types of heterogeneous catalysts like calcium oxide (CaO), sulfanated zirconia alumina (SZA) and others in the JCO biodiesel transesterification process are discussed in detail. The system design of the transesterification process via process simulation and optimization are also presented. Finally, the persistent challenges facing this process are discussed. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Biodiesel Production from Low Quality Crude Jatropha Oil Using Heterogeneous Catalyst

In this study, transesterification of low quality crude jatropha oil (acid value > 4mgKOH/g & water content > 1000ppm) to biodiesel using modified natural zeolite as a solid catalyst was carried out. The effects of various factors consist of the reaction time, molar ratio of methanol to oil, reaction temperature, mass ratio of catalyst to oil and catalyst reusability were investigated. The experimental treatments of a 20:1 molar ratio of methanol to oil, addition of 5wt% catalyst, 70°C reaction temperature using low quality crude jatropha oil resulted in optimum yield in which the biodiesel content exceeded 96.5% at 6h. Along with, the recycling experiment results showed modified natural zeolite catalyst had a long catalyst lifetime which maintained sustainable activity (at least 96.5wt% of ester content according to EN14214 limitations) even after being reused for 3 cycles on low quality raw feedstock. The present finding is potential to simplify the biodiesel production and refining process in rural area. This study simplified method of biodiesel production from low quality raw feedstocks with economic and high efficiency catalyst.

Fuel Properties and Emissions from a Diesel Power Generator Fuelled with Jatropha Oil and Diesel Fuel Blends

The measurements of oil properties of crude Jatropha oil and its blends of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% with diesel fuel have been carried out in this study. Our results suggested that the viscosities of crude Jatropha oil (CJO) blends decrease gradually with increasing temperatures, but they increase gradually with rising ratio of crude Jatropha oil compared to those of diesel fuel. Analysis of physical properties suggested that cold filter plugging point, calorific value, gravity and cetane index decrease gradually with rising percentages of crude Jatropha oil, but the flash point and mid boiling point increase gradually compared to those of diesel fuel. In this study, the prepared oil blends are applied to a power generator for a real application test. Results of electricity generation suggested that crude Jatropha oil blends may be used as an alternative fuel compared to that of diesel fuel. Results of gas emissions in a power generator suggested that CO, CO2 and NOX emissions from crude Jatropha oil blends are lower, but O2 emissions are higher compared to those of diese fuels.

Methanolysis of Jatropha Oil Using Conventional Heating

Studies were carried out on the transesterification, also called methanolysis, of oil from the Jatropha curcas L. with methanol using conventional heating for the production of biodiesel. All reactions were carried out in a batch-stirred reactor and in the subsequent separation and purification stages. The high free-fatty acid (FFA) level of Jatropha oil was reduced to less than 1% by a two-step process. The first step was carried out with 12% w/w methanol-to-oil ratio in the presence of 1% w/w HCl as acid catalyst in a 2h reaction at 343K. The second step was carried out with variable parameters: temperatures at 318K and 333K, initial catalyst concentrations at 0.5% and 1.5%, methanol:oil molar ratios at 4:1 and 6:1, and reaction times at 1h and 2h. Gas chromatography analysis was used to determine the fatty acid profile of crude Jatropha oil. Methanolysis of Jatropha oil used the catalysts NaOH and KOH. The high FFA level of Jatropha oil was reduced from 6.1% to 0.7% after the first step process. The highest yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), however, was achieved at 92.7% in 2h at 4:1 methanol:oil molar ratio, 1.5% w/w KOH, and 333K reaction temperature. This method produced biodiesel that met ASTM’s biodiesel standards. Results showed a density of 0.8g/ml that is within 0.86–0.9kg/l standard range and a kinematic viscosity of about 4.1cSt that is within 2–4.5cSt standard range. The flash point of the biodiesel samples fell between 169oC and 179oC while the cloud point averaged at 6oC.

Synthesis of fatty acid methyl ester from crude jatropha (Jatropha curcas Linnaeus) oil using aluminium oxide modified Mg–Zn heterogeneous catalyst

The synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) as a substitute to petroleum diesel was investigated in this study from crude jatropha oil (CJO), a non-edible, low-cost alternative feedstock, using aluminium modified heterogeneous basic oxide (Mg–Zn) catalyst. The transesterification reaction with methanol to methyl esters yielded 94% in 6h with methanol–oil ratio of 11:1, catalyst loading of 8.68 wt.% at 182°C and the properties of CJO fuel produced were determine and found to be comparable to the standards according to ASTM. In the range of experimental parameters investigated, it showed that the catalyst is selective to production of methyl esters from oil with high free fatty acid (FFA) and water content of 7.23% and 3.28%, respectively in a single stage process. Thus, jatropha oil is a promising feedstock for methyl ester production and large scale cultivation will help to reduce the product cost.

Application of a Burkholderia cepacia lipase-immobilized silica monolith to batch and continuous biodiesel production with a stoichiometric mixture of methanol and crude Jatropha oil

BackgroundThe enzymatic production of biodiesel through alcoholysis of triglycerides has become more attractive because it shows potential in overcoming the drawbacks of chemical processes. In this study, we investigate the production of biodiesel from crude, non-edible Jatropha oil and methanol to characterize Burkholderia cepacia lipase immobilized in an n-butyl-substituted hydrophobic silica monolith. We also evaluate the performance of a lipase-immobilized silica monolith bioreactor in the continuous production of biodiesel.ResultsThe Jatropha oil used contained 18% free fatty acids, which is problematic in a base-catalyzed process. In the lipase-catalyzed reaction, the presence of free fatty acids made the reaction mixture homogeneous and allowed bioconversion to proceed to 90% biodiesel yield after a 12 hour reaction time. The optimal molar ratio of methanol to oil was 3.3 to 3.5 parts methanol to one part oil, with water content of 0.6% (w/w). Further experiments revealed that B. cepacia lipase immobilized in hydrophobic silicates was sufficiently tolerant to methanol, and glycerol adsorbed on the support disturbed the reaction to some extent in the present reaction system. The continuous production of biodiesel was performed at steady state using a lipase-immobilized silica monolith bioreactor loaded with 1.67 g of lipase. The yield of 95% was reached at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/h, although the performance of the continuous bioreactor was somewhat below that predicted from the batch reactor. The bioreactor was operated successfully for almost 50 days with 80% retention of the initial yield.ConclusionsThe presence of free fatty acids originally contained in Jatropha oil improved the reaction efficiency of the biodiesel production. A combination of B. cepacia lipase and its immobilization support, n-butyl-substituted silica monolith, was effective in the production of biodiesel. This procedure is easily applicable to the design of a continuous flow-through bioreactor system.

WATER USE EFFICIENCY FOR JATROPHA IN SANDY SOIL

This study was conducted at Wadi El-Natron area, season (2008-2009), to evaluate the influence of three irrigation systems (Bubbler, Micro-sprinkler and Trickle) on Jatropha production. Also, this work includes different water management techniques, (quantities 60%, 80% and 100% from ETo and irrigation interval of 2 and 4 days). The objective of the present work is to implement some of these intervals and water deficits in computing actual evapotranspiration of Jatropha under desert conditions, to maximize the seeds oil content production of Jatropha under different irrigation systems to save water .The results are as follows: Highest seeds yield production (302.40 kg/fed), was obtained under bubbler irrigation system at 100% applied irrigation water and 2 days intervals, comparing with micro-sprinkler and trickle irrigation systems (238.48 kg/fed) and (204.80kg/fed), respectively. Maximum crude Jatropha oil content “CJO” (%) (29.33%) was obtained under trickle irrigation system at 60% applied irrigation water and 4 days intervals, comparing with micro-sprinkler and bubbler systems (24.2%) and (23.21%), respectively. lowest actual evapotranspiration “ETa” for (initial, development, mid-season, and late-season) growth stages of value were (50.50, 326.37, 671.79 and 142.34) respectively and 1191mm for all-season, were obtained under trickle irrigation system at 60% applied irrigation water with 2 days intervals . Water use efficiency under bubbler irrigation system at 80% applied water quantity and 2 day intervals (0.18 kg/m3) was highest than different treatments.

Selection of high-oil-yield seed sources of Jatropha curcas L. for biodiesel production

Method: Different geographic seed sources (in total, 80) of Jatropha curcas L. were collected in South China, and planted in a germplasm resource garden for the study of their biological characteristics and agricultural properties. Results: It was found that the average ground diameter, tree height and crown size of 2-year-old plants for the 80 sources was 0.076, 1.67 and 1.14 m, respectively, and the average 1000-seed weight was 0.676 kg (0.477–0.876 kg). The trees grew further to an average size of 0.13 m in diameter, 2.69 m in height and with a crown of 2.1 m at the fourth year. Among the 80 sources, six sources with higher oil yield and better expression of phenotype were selected for a small-scale trial, conducted to determine oil yield. A maximum value of 783 oil kg/hectare, that is, 2.7-times the national best yield, was achieved for 3-year-old trees. The oil produced from the six sources was further successfully processed to qualified biodiesel by a two-step process. Conclusion: High oil yield seeds were selected from the geological sources that can be further bred to meet the national requirement for large-scale plantation to provide crude Jatropha oil for the production of biodiesel.

Effects of Preheating of Crude Jatropha Oil on Performance and Emission of a Diesel Engine

Effects of Preheating of Crude Jatropha Oil on Performance and Emission of a Diesel Engine

Biodiesel Production from Crude Sunflower Oil and Crude Jatropha Oil Using Immobilized Lipase

The aim of this research was to study the immobilization of lipase on chitosan by adsorption in order to examine the use of lipase as a catalyst in the transesterification of crude sunflower oil and Jatropha oil. The highest activity of immobilized lipase was found to be 857 U/g, and it corresponded to a glutaraldehyde concentration of 0.05%, pH 7, and a temperature of 37 °C. On the other hand, the activity of free lipase was 2,136 U/g. The optimum conditions for the transesterification of crude sunflower oil were as follows: oil-to-methanol molar ratio, 1:3; immobilized lipase, 100% (w/w of oil); water content, 20% (w/w of oil); shaking speed, 200 rpm; and temperature, 50 °C for 24 h. The maximum amount of methyl esters produced was 25%. When free lipase was used as the catalyst under the same conditions, the amount of methyl esters produced was 33%. The transesterification of Jatropha oil was also studied to compare the activities of the two types of lipases. Both types of lipases activate the tranesterification of sunflower oil more easily than the transesterification of Jatropha oil.

Factors Influencing the Use of Various Low-Value Oils in Biodiesel Production

Various low-value oils, namely, crude palm oil (CPO), crude jatropha oil (CJO), and used frying oil (UFO), were investigated by comparing them as feed oils used in biodiesel (BD) production, with the objective of clarifying the effects of various factors that influence the feed oil characteristics on the required feed pretreatment (FP), operating conditions in transesterification, and the obtained biodiesel yield and purity. First, the low-value oils were characterized in terms of fatty acid compositions and the contents of undesirable impurities. All the feed oils contained mainly C16 and C18 fatty acid chains, and the content of C16 in CPO was higher than the contents of C16 in the other feed oils. The highest contents of impurities, namely, a phospholipid, free fatty acid (FFA), and water were found in CJO. Then, the feed oils were pretreated under various conditions and subsequently transesterified to convert triglycerides to BD in the methyl ester form. The BD productivity and quality could be improved by proper feed pretreatment; deacidification and dehydration were particularly effective. Alkali deacidification is not appropriate for treating CJO since significant oil loss was observed during neutralization of FFA in deacidification. Lastly, the pretreated oils whose impurity contents were sufficiently low were transesterified under varying operating conditions. CPO gave a relatively lower yield but higher purity than the other oils because of the higher C16 content in the feed oil, which had a negative effect on yield but increased the purity in the BD product. For all feed oils, the purity of the obtained BD met the standard for BD purity, and the transesterification yields were improved by carrying out the appropriate FP, as well as adjusting the amounts of alcohol and catalyst in transesterification according to the type of feed oil. The obtained results can be applied to select the appropriate feed oils and maximize BD productivity in the BD production from various low-value oils.

Development of a biofuel lamp and its comparison with a kerosene lamp

An attempt has been made to explore the suitability of crude Jatropha curcas seed oil (biofuel) as a fuel in substituting fully one of the important petroleum products like Kerosene. Expeller is used for the extraction of oil which is further filtered. This crude oil has a very high viscosity and, as result, cannot flow through capillary action in a standard lamp and, hence, requires viscosity reduction by a trans esterification process to convert it into biodiesel or by any other processes. But this is a complex chem-ical reaction and the cost of production becomes almost doubled unless glycerine is not recovered as a by-product. Hence, the paper describes the devel-opment of a unique lamp (lantern) fuelled by 100%biofuel (crude jatropha oil) for its illumination and its comparative performance with respect to a stan-dard kerosene lamp.

An approach to Produce Biodiesel From Non-edible <i>Jatropha curcus</i> Oil through Dual Step Process: Preesterification and Transesterification

Studies were carried out to produce potential biodiesel from non-edible oil of Jatropha curcus. Due to its high free fatty acid (12% FFA), the crude Jatropha oil was processed in two steps: the acid-catalyzed esterification and followed by the base-catalyzed transesterification. The first step reduced the FFA level to less than 1% in 1h at 50°C for the 0.40 w/w methanol-to-oil ratio with 1% w/w of H2SO4. After the reaction, the mixture was stagnated for an hour and the methanol-water upper layer was discarded. The second step converted the product of the first step into biodiesel and glycerol through transesterification using 0.20 w/w methanol-to-oil and 0.5% w/w NaOH to oil as alkaline catalyst at 65°C. The maximum yield of biodiesel (organic phase of upper layer) and fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) yield were achieved at about 95% and 84% within 1 hour respectively. The glycerol concentration in the byproduct (glycerol layer) obtained after dual step transesterification was found 32%. Key words: Jatropha curcus, Biodiesel, Esterification, Glycerol and Fatty acid DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v44i3.4409 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 44(3), 347-352, 2009