Oilseed viability: A crucial factor for the success of the biodiesel industry

Abstract

The oil derived from the seeds of the pongamia plant (Pongamia pinnata) has the potential to produce biodiesel. However, pongamia oil's high viscosity and conradson carbon residue make it unsuitable to use directly as a fuel in the already existing diesel engines. As a result, the experiments were carried out to determine the effectiveness of employing pongamia seeds with varying levels of seed viability for biodiesel production through transesterification process. The study looked at the relationship between seed physiological characteristics and extracted oil qualities in view of production of biodiesel through single step trasesterification process. The decreased seed viability was reflected in feedstock qualities such as free fatty acids (FFAs), saponification value (SV), iodine value (IV), cetane number (CN), and antioxidant enzyme activity. The pongamia seed lot exhibited >60 % germination rates contained oil with low FFAs, low SV and high IV. The oil's low free fatty acid content (1.8 %) aids biodiesel production via a single-step alkali-based trans-esterification method. Thus, seed lots with higher viability enhance fuel properties, but decreasing FFAs in pongamia oil increases fuel production capabilities of seeds. Seeds with good viability exhibited lower oil oxidation potential due to higher antioxidant enzyme activity. The rapid viability evaluation test kit can be used at any stage of seed storage to determine whether oilseeds are suitable for biodiesel production. These findings will enable energy plantation growers to increase their profits by providing the biodiesel sector with high-quality feedstock.

Keywords

• Seed viability
• Free fatty acids
• Oil oxidation potential
• Fuel properties
• Antioxidant enzymes