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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 #325541
Research Project: Replacement of Petroleum Products Utilizing Off-Season Rotational Crops

Location: Bio-oils Research

Title: Field pennycress: A new oilseed crop for the production of biofuels, lubricants, and high-quality proteins

Author
item Evangelista, Roque
item Cermak, Steven - Steve
item Hojilla-Evangelista, Milagros - Mila
item Moser, Bryan
item Isbell, Terry

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2016
Publication Date: 9/6/2017
Citation: Evangelista, R.L., Cermak, S.C., Hojilla-Evangelista, M.P., Moser, B.R., Isbell, T.A. 2017. Field pennycress: A new oilseed crop for the production of biofuels, lubricants, and high-quality proteins. In: Biresaw, G., Mittal, K.L., editors. Surfactants in Tribology. Volume 5. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 369-400.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) has numerous positive attributes that make it a very promising industrial oilseed crop. Its short growing season makes it suitable as an off-season crop between corn and soybean production in most of the upper Midwestern U.S. Fall planting of pennycress may also serve as a cover crop over winter and as a food source for honeybees in early spring when very few or no other plants are in bloom. The seed contains up to 36% oil with erucic acid (36%) as the major fatty acid. Mechanical oil extraction of pennycress seeds can be accomplished with minimal seed conditioning and good oil yields are achieved in a single pass through the screw press. The superior cold flow properties of pennycress biodiesel and pennycress oil-E10 gasoline blend (3:1 v/v) make them adaptable most of the year in areas with colder climates. Pennycress estolide esters capped with saturated fatty acids have modest cold temperature properties which could fill a specialty niche as a high viscosity industrial lubricant. Pennycress seed meal proteins (33.5% oil-free basis) also have excellent nutritional qualities and the isolates have outstanding solubility, foaming, and emulsifying properties.