Title: Oil yield and fuel property study of rubber seed oil-based biodiesel: a promising feedstock for sustainable bio-energy production

Authors: Rishikesh Deka; Jyotirmoy Sarma; Jayanta K. Sarmah

Addresses: Department of Chemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Kaziranga University, Jorhat-785006, Assam, India ' Department of Chemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Kaziranga University, Jorhat-785006, Assam, India ' Department of Chemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Kaziranga University, Jorhat-785006, Assam, India

Abstract: Climate change and energy security are the major issues in the Asian countries especially in India due to energy crisis and escalating energy prices. Utilisation of the non-edible feedstocks for alternative fuel production is a remedy to the issues. Hevea brasiliensis, rubber tree, is a potential non-edible feedstock and is found abundantly in the state of Assam, India and is not explored much for sustainable biodiesel production. Herein we report extraction and characterisation of the rubber seed oil (RSO) and subsequent conversion to biodiesel by the trans-esterification process. The effects of microclimate change on the oil yield based on seeds collected from two nearby districts of Assam are investigated. The acid esterification of the 'RSO' followed by alkaline transesterification had resulted to high-quality biodiesel. The calorific value of 9,675.1 kcal/kg is recorded which is superior to the reported literature (compared in the results and discussion section). An oil yield of ~37.38% was recorded in the present study. Seeds of Hevea brasiliensis collected from the state of Assam are found as a promising alternative for use in biodiesel production.

Keywords: rubber oil; transesterification; acid value; biodiesel.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRET.2021.118494

International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology, 2021 Vol.12 No.4, pp.318 - 334

Received: 25 Jan 2020
Accepted: 08 Feb 2021
Published online: 27 Oct 2021 *

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