Ricinus Communis Seed oils as a Source of Biodiesel; A Renewable Form of Future Energy

Abstract

Diminishing supply and environmental pollution of fossil fuels are the vital factors leading to the search of alternative sources of energy like biodiesel. Biodiesel is one of the eco-friendly substitutes of energy which is mainly utilized in diesel engines. Ricinus communis (castor plant), which belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae yields an oil rich beans and plays important role in the production of biodiesel. Recently, the demand of castor oil and its products has been raised in the world market due to its versatility to use and simplicity to produce. Therefore, this study investigates the extraction of castor oil and its conversion in to biodiesel via alkali catalyzed transesterification. The seed oil of the plant was extracted using Soxhlet apparatus and the quality of the biodiesel was examined using the standard procedures of American standards for testing methods. Furthermore, the chemical composition of the extracted oil was examined using GC-MS. The seed oil was liquid at room temperature (25 °C), golden yellow in color with a nutty odor. The extraction processes yielded 324 g (9.25% w/w) and 78% of oil and biodiesel respectively. The density (0.86 g/mL), viscosity (5.42 mm 2 s -1 ), flash point (87 °C), acid value (0.35 mg KOH/g), water content (0.80%), iodine value (108.60), and cetane number (58.00) were reported in this study and showed a good agreement with the standards of biodiesel. GC-MS analysis of the seed oil also showed the presence of 10 different fatty acids (9-Octadecenoic acid, 12-hydroxy-, methyl ester, [R-(Z)] took the highest composition) which plays significant role for the production of methyl esters. So, the study can assure that castor oil can be used for commercial production of biodiesel at cost effective scales.

Sustainable Use of Extracts of Some Plants Growing in Ethiopia for the Formulation of Herbal Shampoo and Its Antimicrobial Evaluation

“…These variations in the yield of essential and seed oils may be related to variations in soil types, weather conditions, and other growth conditions. The oil yield of R. communis obtained in this study was better than that of Gebrehiwot and Zelelew [33]. They reported that the plant seeds collected from farmland around Abiy Adi, central province, 95 km from the capital of Tigray, Ethiopia, had an oil yield of 9.25%.…”

“…Finally, the seed oils from each extraction beaker, containing a small amount of extraction solvent, were combined and further concentrated using a rotary evaporator. The amount of oil recovered and its percentage in the original sample were calculated as follows [18,33] Oil content (%) = Mass of oil extracted (g) Sample weight (g) × 100…”

Research on microstructural‐mechanical and shearing properties of castor seed during mechanical extraction

“…Castor seeds are mainly composed of four parts: embryo, endosperm (with oil), coat and caruncle (Severino et al, 2021). The castor seeds are rich in oil, about 30%–50% (Srinivasan et al, 2021), and the oil is becoming an important bio‐diesel production composition (Gebrehiwot & Zelelew, 2022). The castor oil extraction methods include mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic.…”

“…The castor seeds are rich in oil, about 30%-50% (Srinivasan et al, 2021), and the oil is becoming an important bio-diesel production composition (Gebrehiwot & Zelelew, 2022). The castor oil extraction methods include mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic.…”