Biodiesel production from Croton megalocarpus oil and its process optimization

Production of biodiesel from non-edible feedstocks is attracting more attention than in the past, for the purpose of manufacturing alternative fuels without interfering with the food chain. Biodiesel was produced using Croton megalocarpus oil as a non-edible feedstock. C. megalocarpus oil was obtained from north Tanzania. This study aimed at optimizing the biodiesel production process parameters experimentally. The parameters involved in the optimization process were the amount of the catalyst, of alcohol, temperature, agitation speed and reaction time. The optimum biodiesel conversion efficiency obtained was 88% at the optimal conditions of 1.0 wt.% amount of potassium hydroxide catalyst, 30 wt.% amount of methanol, 60 °C reaction temperature, 400 rpm agitation rate and 60 min reaction time. The properties of croton biodiesel which were determined fell within the recommended biodiesel standards. Croton oil was found with a free fatty acid content of 1.68% which is below the 2% recommended for the application of the one step alkaline transesterification method. The most remarkable feature of croton biodiesel is its cold flow properties. This biodiesel yielded a cloud and pour point of −4 °C and −9 °C, respectively, while its kinematic viscosity lay within the recommended standard value. This points to the viability of using croton biodiesel in cold regions.