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Biodiesel from the seed oil of Treculia africana with high free fatty acid content

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Abstract

Oil was extracted from the seed of Treculia africana using hexane. The oil was characterized and used in the production of biodiesel. Biodiesel was produced from the seed oil of T. africana using a two-step reaction system. The first step was a pretreatment which involved the use of 2 % sulfuric acid in methanol, and secondly, transesterification reaction using KOH as catalyst. Saponification value of the oil was 201.70 ± 0.20 mg KOH/g, free fatty acid was 8.20 ± 0.50 %, while iodine value was 118.20 ± 0.50 g iodine/100 g. The most dominant fatty acid was C18:2 (44 %). The result of the method applied showed a conversion which has ester content above 98 %, flash point of 131 ± 1.30 °C, and phosphorus content below 1 ppm in the biodiesel. The biodiesel produced exhibited properties that were in agreement with the European standard (EN 14214). This study showed that the high free fatty acid content of T. africana seed oil can be reduced in a one-step pretreatment of esterification reaction using H2SO4 as catalyst.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Department of Chemistry, University of Ibadan, Nigeria and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Redemption City, Ogun State, Nigeria

    Adewale Adewuyi

  2. Industrial Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

    Rotimi A. Oderinde & David F. K. Ojo

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  1. Adewale Adewuyi
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  2. Rotimi A. Oderinde
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  3. David F. K. Ojo
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Correspondence to Adewale Adewuyi.

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Adewuyi, A., Oderinde, R.A. & Ojo, D.F.K. Biodiesel from the seed oil of Treculia africana with high free fatty acid content. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 2, 305–308 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-012-0057-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-012-0057-z

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