ABSTRACT
This paper reports on the production and characterization of bio-oil obtained from a commonly used non-edible seed biomass Jatropha (Jatropha curcas Linnaeus). Jatropha seeds were subjected to pyrolysis in a semi batch reactor at a temperature of 350–550°C with an objective to produce bio-oil. The effect of temperature on pyrolysis of the seed was studied to know the optimum temperature for maximum bio-oil yield. It was observed that Jatropha seed yielded a maximum of 67 wt% bio-oil fraction at 500°C. The chemical composition of the bio-oil obtained at optimum temperature was analyzed using a CHNS analyzer, FTIR and GC-MS. Composition analysis illustrated that Jatropha seed pyrolysis oil is a low sulfur fuel and can be a source of various valuable bio-chemicals such as Oleic acid, n-Hexadecanoic acid, Oleanitrile, and Octadecanoic acid. The high calorific value of the pyrolysis oil makes it suitable as an alternate renewable fuel for diesel engines.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.