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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Bio-oils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #266991

Title: Biodiesel from Milo (Thespesia populnea L.) seed oil

Author
item RASHID, UMER - Universiti Teknologie Petronas
item ANWAR, FAROOQ - Universiti Putra Malaysia
item Knothe, Gerhard

Submitted to: Biomass and Bioenergy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/23/2011
Publication Date: 7/20/2011
Citation: Rashid, U., Anwar, F., Knothe, G.H. 2011. Biodiesel from Milo (Thespesia populnea L.) seed oil. Biomass and Bioenergy. 35:4034-4039.

Interpretive Summary: Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel derived from vegetable oils such as soybean oil, or other sources such as animal fats and waste frying oils. However, all known sources of biodiesel do not suffice to replace all diesel fuel obtained from petroleum. It is important, therefore, to find additional sources of biodiesel, including vegetable oils which have not been previously studied in this respect. This work describes a vegetable oil called Thespesia populnea oil that is a potential source of biodiesel. Important fuel properties of the biodiesel derived from this oil were studied, showing the suitability of this oil as a potential source of biodiesel.

Technical Abstract: There is a need to seek non-conventional seed oil sources for biodiesel production due to issues such as supply and availability, as well as food versus fuel. In this context, Milo (Thespesia populnea L.) seed oil was investigated for the first time as a potential non-conventional feedstock for the preparation of biodiesel. This is also the first report of a biodiesel fuel produced from a feedstock containing cyclic fatty acids, as Thespesia populnea contains 8,9-methylene-8-heptadecenoic (malvalic) and smaller amounts of two cyclopropane fatty acids besides greater amounts of linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids. The crude oil extracted from T. populnea seed was transesterified under standard conditions with sodium methoxide as a catalyst. Biodiesel derived from T. populnea seed oil exhibited these fuel characteristics: density, 880 kg.m-3; kinematic viscosity, 4.25 mm2/s; cetane number, 59.8; flash point, 176°C; cloud point, 8°C; pour point, 9°C; cold filter plugging point, 9°C; sulfur content, 0.011%; water content, 0.015%; ash content, 0.015%; and acid value 0.25 mg KOH/g which, in most cases, compared well with ASTM D 6751 and EN 14214 specifications.