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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 #288551

Title: Biodiesel from Citrus reticulata (Mandarin orange) seed oil, a potential non-food feedstock

Author
item RASHID, UMER - Universiti Putra Malaysia
item IBRAHIM, MUHAMMAD - Government College University
item YASIN, SHAHID - Government College University
item YUNUS, ROBIAH - Universiti Putra Malaysia
item TAUFIQ-YAP, Y - Universiti Putra Malaysia
item Knothe, Gerhard

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/22/2012
Publication Date: 1/31/2013
Citation: Rashid, U., Ibrahim, M., Yasin, S., Yunus, R., Taufiq-Yap, Y.H., Knothe, G.H. 2013. Biodiesel from Citrus reticulata (Mandarin orange) seed oil, a potential non-food feedstock. Industrial Crops and Products. 45:355-359.

Interpretive Summary: Biodiesel is an alternative to petroleum-derived diesel fuel. Biodiesel is commonly produced from vegetable oils such as soybean oil or other sources such as animal fats and waste frying oils. Biodiesel has advantages such as renewability, domestic origin, biodegradability, safer handling, lower sulfur content and reduced exhaust emissions when compared to petroleum diesel while technical problems include behavior at low temperatures and storage stability. Another issue with biodiesel is sufficient availability and supply of feedstock. In this work, a feedstock not previously investigated as a potential source of biodiesel, namely citrus seed oil, was studied. The biodiesel fuel obtained from this feedstock was found to be competitive with biodiesel obtained from more common feedstocks.

Technical Abstract: Oil extracted from Citrus reticulata (Mandarin orange) seeds was investigated as a potential feedstock for the production of biodiesel. The biodiesel fuel was prepared by sodium methoxide-catalyzed transesterification of the oil with methanol. Fuel properties that were determined include cetane number, cloud point, pour point, cold filter plugging point, kinematic viscosity, oxidative stability, flash point, sulfur content, ash content, density and acid value. The citrus seed oil methyl esters were found to satisfy both ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 biodiesel standards. The NMR spectra of the methyl esters of Citrus reticulata seed oil are reported.