PASSIFLORA EDULIS SEED OIL METHYL ESTER AS A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF BIODIESEL

Abstract

The fact that fossil energy reserves are limited coupled with the environmental pressure resulting from their use has encouraged research on biodiesel and other biofuels. Biodiesel is a nontoxic, biodegradable and renewable source of energy made by the transesterification of oils or fats with short chain alcohols. This study was focused on the use of Passiflora edulis seed oil (Passion fruit).This oil was obtained from an industrial fruit juice processing waste. The oil was evaluated as a good potential feedstock for production of biodiesel. In this study Passiflora edulis seed oil was successfully transesterified using methanol and KOH as a catalyst.A biodiesel yield of 80% was obtained. The biodiesel had a viscosity of 4.60 mm 2 /s, acid value 0.45 mgKOH/g, density of 0.89g/ml, colour 1.60, water content 0.2%, copper strip corrosion-No tarnish, and flash point > 150 0 C .The fuel parameters measured were within range according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and International Standards Organization (ISO) test methods apart from the percentage water content.