Center for Environment and Energy Research and Studies (CEERS)
Abstract
Biodiesel is an environmentally friend renewable diesel fuel
alternative. Jatropha seeds can be a feedstock to produce a valuable
amount of oil to be converted to biodiesel using transesterification
reaction. Jatropha plant has been successfully grown in southern Egypt
using primary treated municipal wastewater for its irrigation. A bench
scale production of biodiesel from Jatropha oil (using methyl alcohol
and sodium hydroxide as catalyst) was developed with methyl esters
yield of 98 %. Biodiesel was produced on a pilot scale based on the
bench scale experiment results with almost the same methyl esters yield
of 98 %. The produced biodiesel was evaluated as a fuel and compared
with petroleum diesel according to its physical and chemical parameters
such as viscosity, flash point, pour point, cloud point, carbon
residue, acid value and calorific value. The experimental techniques
and product evaluation results show that such properties of the
produced biodiesel are near to that of petroleum diesel. A mass balance
representing the transesterification process is presented in this
study. Glycerol of 85 % purity was produced and evaluated as a valuable
byproduct of the process. Free fatty acids and sodium phosphate salts
which have industrial interesting are also produced and evaluated