Effects of degumming on biodiesel properties of some non-conventional seedoils

This study examined the effect of degumming process on physicochemical and biodiesel properties of six non-conventional oils in Nigeria extracted from the seeds and flesh of Terminalia catappa (seed), Irvingia gabonesis (seed), Glycine max (seed), Persea americana(flesh), Tithonia diversifolia (seed), and Dacryodes edulis  (flesh). The fruits and seeds were air-dried to constant weight and pulverized. Oil was extracted from the milled sample using Soxhlet extraction method. The oils were degummed using 300 μg/mL of NaCl solution to obtain the refined (degummed) oil. Physicochemical properties of both degummed and crude oils were carried out using the AOAC (1990) methods. The fuel properties of the biodiesel obtained were carried out using ASTM methods. Results showed that degumming process lead to high biodiesel yield and reduced the acid value and iodine value compared with the crude oils. The study therefore concluded that degummed oils were a better substitute for biodiesel fuels production.