Assessing the Potential of Oils from Palm Kernel, Tiger Nut and Castor Seed for Biodiesel Production: A Comparative Analysis

The depletion of fossil fuel supplies, together with expanding demand, the unpredictability of supply, high pricing, and environmental concerns, has prompted a quest for acceptable alternative fuels. Petroleum-based fuels now account for more than 90% of transportation fuel and create large amounts of greenhouse emissions. Biodiesel, a non-petroleum-derived alternative fuel, is being researched as a potential option to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, the biodiesel quality of three feedstocks well grown in Nigeria-palm kernel oil (PKO), castor seed oil (CSO), and tiger nut oil (TGO)-was compared to international standards and conventional petro-diesel. The biodiesel was produced by a two-step transesterification reaction, followed by an examination of its physical properties and characterization by employing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The characteristics of biodiesel fuel were established using ASTM/EN standards. The study's findings revealed that biodiesel created from PKO, TGO, and CSO feedstocks had acceptable saponification, iodine, and flash point values. GC-MS analysis of the biodiesel's fatty acid composition revealed that methyl petroselinate (15%), oleic acid (13.73%), and ricinoleic acid (57.9%) were the most prevalent in PKO, TGO, and CSO biodiesels, respectively. FT-IR spectroscopy was also employed to identify the functional groups of the triglyceride. Overall, this research sheds light on the appropriateness of biodiesel produced from PKO, TGO, and CSO feedstocks as fuel for compression ignition engines, as well as the possibility of these feedstocks as alternate sources of biodiesel production.

Automated summary

The depletion of fossil fuel supplies and the environmental concerns have led to the search for acceptable alternative fuels, such as biodiesel. This study compared the quality of biodiesel produced from palm kernel oil (PKO), castor seed oil (CSO), and tiger nut oil (TGO) to international standards. The results showed that all three feedstocks had acceptable biodiesel quality, with PKO, TGO, and CSO biodiesels containing methyl petroselinate, oleic acid, and ricinoleic acid as the most prevalent fatty acids, respectively.