Possibility of converting indigenous Salvadora persica L. seed oil into biodiesel in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

In this research study, biodiesel has been successfully produced from vegetable seed oil of an indigenous plant Salvadora persica L. that meets the international biodiesel standard (ASTM D6751). The biodiesel yield was 1.57 g/5 g (31.4% by weight) and the in-situ transesterification ester content conversion was 97.7%. The produced biodiesel density was 0.894 g/mL, its kinematic viscosity 5.51 mm²/s, HHV 35.26 MJ/kg, flash point 210°C, cetane no. 61, and sulfur content 0.0844%. Thermal analysis of the biodiesel showed that 97% weight loss was achieved at 595°C with total oxidation of the biodiesel. The production energy efficiency was 0.46% with a lab scale setup, assuming the volume fraction ratio (volume of the sample/total volume of the equipment used). The results revealed that single-step in-situ transesterification method is suitable for the production of biodiesel from S. persica seed oil.

KEYWORDS:

• Biodiesel
• energy analysis
• Salvadora persica
• thermogravimetry
• transesterification

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratories Complex Karachi, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi and Centralized Resource Laboratory, University of Peshawar for analyzing samples at their facilities. Also thanks to the PERAC Research and Development Foundation Laboratories, Karachi, for testing the sulfur content in the biodiesel sample. Special thanks to NED University of Engineering and Technology for providing the laboratory facilitates to conduct this research work.