No abstract

The use of vegetable oils as a renewable source for the production of ecofriendly biolubricant is gaining the attention of the renewable energy researchers and lubricating oil producers. This study evaluates the quality assessment parameters of ecofriendly biolubricant from waste cooking palm oil (WCPO). The crude WCPO was filtered, centrifuged at 500 rpm, and dried over Na2SO4 crystals overnight. The quality assessment parameters of the pretreated WCPO (PWCPO) were determined to authenticate its potential for the production of multigrade lubricating oils. Kinematic viscosities at 100°C (8.26±0.03 cSt) and 40°C (36.98±0.01 cSt) were determined according to ASTMD-446 method, while the viscosity index (208±0.11) was determined according to ASTMD-2270 method. A design of experiment (Mixture Design Method using Minitab 17) was used to determine the proportion of PWCPO (68.75%), SN 500 (23.75%), and additives (7.50%) that gave the mixture with the optimum quality parameters of the produced biolubricant. The produced biolubricant had kinematic viscosities at 100oC (10.72±0.13 cSt) and 40°C (59.32±0.20 cSt) respectively, a viscosity index of 173±0.10, flash point of 234±1.13°C, pour point of -31±0.10°C, acid value of 21.04±1.21 mg KOH g-1, and iodine value of 1.28±1.40 mg I2 g-1. The produced biolubricant has quality parameters that are comparable to available ecofriendly lubricating oil and was also found within standards for engine oils.

The seed powder of Moringa oleifera was analysed for its phytochemical, proximate and elemental composition using Folin-Denis spectrophotometric method, gravimetric method and energy dispersing X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) transmission emission technique respectively. The seed powder had the following proximate composition: nitrogen (2.98%), crude protein (18.63%), tannins (322.9 mg/100g), alkaloids (8.24 mg/100g) and saponins (9.13%). The predominant mineral elements in the seed powder were: Al (144 ± 4 ppm), Ca (602 ± 122 ppm), K (732 ± 164 ppm), P (0.619 mg/kg), Na (86.2 ± 4.9 ppm), Mn (17.5 ± 0.4 ppm), Br (0.62 ± 0.09 ppm), La (0.73 ± 0.13 ppm), Sm (0.14 ± 0.01 ppm), Rb (37.5 ± 6.7 ppm) and Sc (0.17 ± 0.03 ppm) while Mg, Fe, Cr, As, Th and Zn were all beyond detection limits. The results of the study suggest the pharmacological and nutritional potentials of M. oleifera seeds for human and other animal uses.

Biodiesel production from plant seed oil and animal fat is not a new technologies, though recently searching for alternative renewable sources of fuel is receiving much attention due to global energy demand and increase in environmental pollution. Currently biodiesel is largely produced from edible oil feedstock which may not be sustainable in the longer term due to its competition with food, thus lead to a search for not edible oil feedstock for the production of green fuel. In view of this, homogeneous transesterification of Lageneraria sinceraria seed oil has been carried out using NaOH catalyst at 65 ͦ C with ethanol which produced a good biodiesel yield of 78% with HHV of 36.34 (MJ/Kg), 0.02% low total water and sediment level, 0.80g/cm 3 density, 0.82 g/cm 3 specific gravity, 27.20 g/cm 3 API gravity, 0.44 mg NaOH/g Acid number and 144 o C Flash point. The ethyl ester biodiesel produced, therefore, promises to be a viable source of energy for future use.

In recent years research on biodiesel production from non-edible seed oil is receiving more attention to prevent food vs biofuels problems such as starvation in developing countries. Castor seed oil is potential non-edible biodiesel feedstock, but it has high viscosity and high acid value which are among the undesired factors in biodiesel production. The castor seed oil was extracted using soxhlet extraction method, refined using standard analytical methods and its physicochemical properties was determined using ASTM methods. The crude extracts of castor seeds oil which was characterized as high viscous oil, was refined to improve its quality, and physicochemical properties of refined and crude extracts castor seed oil was studies. The crude extracts oil (41.29±1.54%) produce was refined to reduce its high viscosity (233.0±2.00 mm 2 /s) and acid value (4.488±0.40 mgKOH/g). The viscosity and acid value of the oil significant reduced to 159.0±3.00 mm 2 /s and 2.805±0.20 mgKOH/g after the refining process. The others physicochemical properties such as flash point, saponification value, iodine value, moisture contents, specific gravity, refractive index, kinematic viscosity, cloud point, pour point and free fatty acids qualities were improved after refining. The study show that refined castor seed oil were more suitable in biodiesel production than crude castor seed oil.