Growing Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) as a Potential Second-Generation Biodiesel Feedstock

Abstract

Dwindling supplies of fossil fuels and their deleterious impacts on human health and the global environment have intensified the search for substitute energy sources. Biodiesel has been identified as a promising renewable energy substitute for diesel fuel due to several comparable and sustainable properties. However, approximately 95% of biodiesel is derived from edible oil crops, threatening the current food supplies. Therefore, the biodiesel production potential from inexpensive, non-edible, and non-conventional bioenergy crops, such as Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.), has attracted the attention of many researchers, policymakers, and industries globally. Jatropha is considered to be the second-generation biofuel feedstocks for biodiesel production. However, sustainable biodiesel generation from J. curcas oil has not yet been attained, owing to different socio-economic, ecological, and technical factors. This study aimed to synthesize the information from the existing literature on the present status and to identify the knowledge gaps for future research on Jatropha by providing comprehensive information regarding its origin and distribution, morphology, phenology, and reproduction, genetic diversity, its productivity, oil content, and fatty acid composition, the methodology used for extracting biodiesel, and agronomic, economic, and environmental aspects of biodiesel production. The germplasm screening of J. curcas and the exploration of its adaptability and agronomic potential across diverse climates are highly desired to promote this crop as an alternative biofuel crop, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Moreover, future research should focus on developing, optimizing, and modernizing the technologies involving seed collection, the processing of seeds, oil extraction, and the production of biodiesel.

Jatropha curcas L. as a Plant Model for Studies on Vegetative Propagation of Native Forest Plants

“…There are indications that the Jatropha curcas L. plant originated in South and Central America; the name of the species Jatropha curcas L. comes from the Greek language “iatrós”, which means (doctor) and (trophé), which means food; there are reports that the Portuguese were using the medicinal properties of the Jatropha plant since the 16th century [ 1 ]. The Portuguese also established the first commercial plantations of the species to produce soap and lamp oil in Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau; from there, the species spread to Africa, South America, and Asia, probably for its medicinal properties [ 2 ].…”

“…The Jatropha curcas L. plant is an oilseed that does not compete directly with food crops; its grains have around 34% oil content [ 1 ], which can produce biodiesel with a high calorific value, such as diesel [ 3 ], its oil can be added to blends with kerosene to obtain high-quality aviation fuel [ 4 ], or with C-heavy oil to be used in oil-fired boilers, with the advantage of reducing emissions of NOx and SO 2 [ 5 ]. In addition, Jatropha curcas L. is being used to recover degraded forest areas [ 6 ], and in the pharmaceutical industry due to its pharmacological properties [ 7 ].…”

Parametric comparison of biodiesel transesterification processes using non‐edible feedstocks: Castor bean and jatropha oils

“…This process can be catalyzed by chemical (homogeneous or heterogeneous) or biochemical (enzymatic) catalysts. In homogeneous catalysis the catalyst is present in the same phase (liquid) as the reactants, whereas, in heterogeneous catalysis the catalyst is solid, being in a different phase from the reactants 32 …”

“…According to Neupane et al ., 32 the main factors that influence the transesterification reactions are temperature, reaction time, oil to alcohol ratio, the amount and type of catalyst and feedstock type. Therefore, to compare the different routes of biodiesel production through transesterification, the literature review presented in Tables 2–4 comprising the production of biodiesel from castor, jatropha and soy beans though chemically homogeneous, heterogeneous and enzymatic routes was processed using the software Microsoft Power BI Desktop (2.92.706.0) and grouped according to the pattern of each route's influence on the process parameters.…”

Synthesis of Ca–Fe-based heterogeneous catalyst from waste shells and their application for transesterification of Jatropha oil

“…However, these non-edible oils from Jatropha seeds cannot be directly trans-esterified due to the high amount of free fatty acids (FFAs). Recent reports documented that Jatropha curcas nuts or seeds production potential ranges from 0.5 to 12 tons per year per hectare annually, and the oil production is expected to reach 1590 kg/ha [10,11]. For past decades, various homogeneous catalysts, i.e., H 2 SO 4 , HCl, NaOH, KOH, and CH 3 ONa) have been studied for transesterification in presence of alcohols (i.e., ethanol, methanol, propanol etc.).…”