Fuel properties of oil-bearing kukui (Aleurites
moluccana) nuts, a commonly found crop in Hawaii and
tropical Pacific regions, were comprehensively studied to evaluate
their potential for bioenergy production. Proximate and ultimate analyses,
heating value, and elemental composition of the seed, shell, and de-oiled
seed cake were determined across five sampling locations in Hawaii.
The aged and freshly harvested kukui seeds were found to have similar
oil contents, ranging from 61 to 64%wt. Aged seeds, however, have
2 orders of magnitude greater free fatty acids than those freshly
harvested (50% vs 0.4%). The nitrogen content of the de-oiled kukui
seed cake was found to be comparable to that of the soybean cake.
Aging of kukui seeds can decrease the flashpoint temperature and increase
the liquid–solid phase transition temperatures of kukui oil
obtained. Mg and Ca are the major ash-forming elements present in
the kukui shells, >80%wt of all metal elements detected, which
may
reduce deposition problems for thermochemical conversion in comparison
with hazelnut, walnut, and almond shells. The study also revealed
that kukui oil has similar characteristics to canola, indicating that
it is well-suited for biofuel production.