Vol: 1 Issue: 2
EXTRACTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIO-OIL FROM WASTE KOLANUT POD FOR BIODIESEL PRODUCTION
U. I. Jacob, H. U. Ugwu, E. O. Wilson
Background of Study
Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, ran the first diesel engine on groundnut oil at the Paris Exposition of 1900 [1]. This was the origin of the use of vegetable oils as fuel for diesel engines. However, due to the abundant supply of fossil diesel, Research & Development activities on vegetable oil were not seriously pursued. It received attention only recently when it was realized that petroleum fuels were dwindling fast, and environment-friendly renewable substitutes must be identified, the commonest of which is biodiesel. Biodiesel is a clean, smouldering, renewable fuel that is usually produced from vegetable oils, animal oil or fats, waste cooking oil and tallow [2]. In biodiesel production, many different feedstocks have been used. Biodiesel can be produced by utilizing edible oils and non-edible oils as resources. However, usage of the edible oil can result in competition between usages of food against fuel. This also can increase the condemnation of sustainable edible oils for biodiesel production [3]. Many types of non-edible oils have been used as feedstock for biodiesel production [4]. These include Jatropha curcas, Pongamia pinnata (Karanja), Madhuca indica (Mahua), Linseed, Cottonseed, Azadirachta indica (Neem), Camelina, Reutealis Trisperma, Calophyllum Inophyllum, Hevea Brasiliensis, Ricinus Communis, Ceiba pentandra, Schleichera Oleosa, Cerbera manghas and beauty leaf tree [2]. The ultimate goal is to develop specific characteristics and properties of biodiesel through blends and other modifications to have better alternatives to conventional diesel with enhanced efficiency in terms of performance and emissions in internal combustion engines.
1.2 Statement of Problem
Presently, researchers have been preoccupied with finding different sources of biodegradable fuel from biomass (feedstock) as a better alternative to fossil fuel. From the literature, little has been mentioned about the use of waste kolanut pod oil and its blends as a possible source of biodiesel. Consequently, this study aimed at studying the possibility of developing biodiesel using waste kolanut pod oil and its blends with enhanced properties better than, or at best, close to the properties of conventional diesel. The ultimate goal was to find a sustainable, renewable source of fuel that would be beneficial both to manufacturing companies (using diesels as an integral part of production) and the general needs of the transportation sector.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
This research aimed at extracting and characterizing the material gotten from waste kolanut pod. The specific objectives of this research include the following:
i. Provide and extract oil from waste kolanut pod
ii. Characterise the extract with the use of phytochemical analysis, EDX and FTIR