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Evaluation and characterization of rubber seed oil for biodiesel production

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to optimize oil yield from the rubber tree seed, determine the physicochemical properties of the oil, and synthesize and characterize the biodiesel from the oil. The oil was extracted by solvent extraction method and optimized using central composite design of response surface methodology. The oil physicochemical properties were determined using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) procedure. The biodiesel was synthesized in a two-step acid–base catalyzed transesterification with 6:1 molar ratio of methanol to oil at 60 °C for 90 min. Fatty acid compositions of the biodiesel were determined using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method. The maximum oil yield of 61.3 wt% was obtained with 9:1 solvent to solute ratio, extracted at 95 °C for 8 h. The physicochemical properties of the oil were suitable for biodiesel production and a maximum biodiesel yield of 81.55 wt% was obtained from the oil. The fuel properties of the biodiesel from the rubber seed oil was in line with the standards of ASTM6751 and EN590. The synthesized biodiesel was composed of 83.4% unsaturated and 16.1% saturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acid composition could decrease the oxidation stability of the fuel. The present work indicates that rubber seed can be considered as important feedstock for biodiesel.

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Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute and Measuring Reporting and Verification, a Capacity Building Project, Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resource of Hawassa University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Products Innovation Research and Training Center, Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute, 2322, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Berhanu Sugebo

  2. College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia

    Zerihun Demrew

  3. Ethiopian Agricultural Research Council Secretariat, PO Box 8115, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Sisay Feleke

  4. Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resource, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia

    Mikias Biazen

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  1. Berhanu Sugebo
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  3. Sisay Feleke
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Contributions

The contribution of the first author was on problem identification, data collection, laboratory analysis, interpretation, and the draft manuscript preparation.

The contribution of the second author was advising the first author in problem identification, proposal writing, helping in laboratory analysis and interpretations, and manuscript preparation.

The contribution of the third author was on the interpretation of the spectroscopic analysis and editing of the manuscript.

The fourth author prepared the map of the rubber tree plantation and involved in manuscript editing.

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Correspondence to Berhanu Sugebo.

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Sugebo, B., Demrew, Z., Feleke, S. et al. Evaluation and characterization of rubber seed oil for biodiesel production. Biomass Conv. Bioref. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-01900-4

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