Biodiesel production and fuel properties from non-edible Champaca (Michelia champaca) seed oil for use in diesel engine

In the present paper investigations were carried out to determine fatty acid composition and fuel properties of non-edible, renewable, champaca seed oil (CSO), champaca seed oil biodiesel (CBD), for its use in diesel engine. Methyl ester of seed oil was analyzed by Gas Chromatography (GC) - Mass Spectroscopy (MS) for the determination of fatty acid composition. The major fatty acids found in CSO were, palmatic , 32.52%, linoleic, 30.72%, palmitoleic, 13.39%, stearic, 8.88%, oleic , 6.03%, palmitelaidic, 5.18%, ecosenic, 0.71% and myristic, 0.57% and the total unsaturated fatty acid composition accounts for 56.03%. The biodiesel was produced by two step process i.e. acid pretreatment transesterification process as the free fatty acid (FFA) content found to be 5.30% ( corresponding to acid value of 10.55, mg KOH/g) . The first step of process was carried out with methanol and sulphuric acid as catalyst, followed by second step, basecatalyzed transesterification process with methanol and sodium hydroxide as catalyst the biodiesel yield was found to be 83.50 %. The fuel properties of biodiesel produced were determined as per the ASTM standard test procedures and compared with diesel, ASTM D6751-09a, biodiesel standard specifications and were found to meet the required standards