Physicochemical Characterization of a Biodiesel Produced from Oil Extract from the Pulp of Raffia Sese de Wild Collected in Democratic Republic of Congo

Biodiesel are produced and characterized from the oil extract from the pulp of Raphia sese de Wild collected in Democratic republic of Congo. The transesterification reaction was used in homogeneous phase with acid and base catalysts. The reaction was carried out in volume ratio 6:1 of ethanol to oil using 1% in volume of the concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The yield of the reaction was 73% in transesterified oil for the acid catalyzed reaction runned during 3 hours at 60°C, and 99.2% for the base catalyzed reaction runned during 2 hours, at the same temperature.   The physiochemical properties were determined for B100 (pure biodiesel), B10 and B5 (blended biodiesel with the fossil gazole). The results show that these three types of biodiesel can be used in a diesel engine in replacement of the traditional gazole