Physicochemical Properties of Crude Rubber Seed Oil for Biogasoline Production

The growing concern on fossil fuel depletion, environmental awareness, increasing energy consumption and food-fuel conflict has initiated the thought of using non-edible oils such as crude rubber seed oil (RSO) to produce renewable fuels. Besides being largely available in Malaysia the rubber seeds is still underutilized. In this study the physicochemical properties of RSO as a potential inedible oil for biogasoline production were analysed using American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) standard procedures. The RSO was characterised in terms of colour (dark brown), state (liquid), viscosity (40.86 mm2/s), specific gravity (0.91), peroxide value (3.42 Mg/g), moisture content (0.37wt%), high heating value (39.71 MJ/kg), acid value (83.76 mg KOH/g), free fatty acid contents (41.64%), iodine value (118.8) and sulphur content (0%). These values obtained were then analysed and compared with the commonly used crude palm oil. The acquired results produced were convincing and matched in agreeable values with other literatures on RSO. The results strongly suggest that RSO is a promising alternative energy source to fuel vehicles in the coming future.