Rice bran: A prospective resource for biodiesel production in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT

The increasing demand of renewable energy sources has pressed the need to search for biofuels. The world is not only thrusting for potential sources of biofuels but also surveilling not to hamper the food supply, particularly in the Third World countries, such as Bangladesh. Rice bran oil is a prominent source of biofuels. Rice, the main cereal in Bangladesh, is cultivated all the year round. Rice hull containing bran is mostly wasted and merely used as feedstock for cattle and for cooking purposes. This study considered rice bran as a prospective source of biodiesel in Bangladesh. The properties of oil collected from rice bran were investigated to ensure the production of biodiesel by transesterification. An economic analysis relative to Bangladesh was conducted, and the production rate of biodiesel under different percentage of catalyst was investigated.

KEYWORDS:

• Biodiesel
• characterization
• economic analysis
• rice bran oil
• transesterifiation process

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the University of Malaya for financial support through the High Impact Research Grant titled “Development of Alternative and Renewable Energy Career (DAREC)”; grant number UM.C/HIR/MOHE/ENG/60.