PRODUCTION, CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF RICE BRAN OIL BIODIESEL AS ALTERNATIVE FUEL FOR DIESEL ENGINES (Oryza glaberrima: African rice)

Abstract

Biodiesel is a liquid bio-fuel made from natural fats such as vegetable oils or animal fats through a process of esterification and transesterification. In this study, vegetable oil (Rice bran Oil) extracted from rice bran through soxhlet extraction process using N-hexane as a solvent at temperature 60°C was used for the production of biodiesel through transesterification process. The transesterification was carried out using the sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as catalyst and methanol. The influence of amount of catalyst and methanol/Oil molar ratio on biodiesel yield was studied: the optimum condition for the transesterification was established; methanol/Oil molar ratio 7:1 and catalyst weight of NaOH 0.9% w/w. The physicochemical and fuel properties of the biodiesel produced and their corresponding blends with diesel fuel as well as the parent oil were measured and compared with the conventional diesel properties. These measured properties such as cloud point, pour point, density, corrosion strip, cetane number, heating value, peroxide value, fatty acid profile etc. have values that are in agreement with the conventional diesel and also conform to international specifications of ASTM D6571 and EN 14214. All these properties of the rice bran oil biodiesel and its corresponding blends are similar to properties of diesel; hence the fuel and its blends can be used as alternative fuel for diesel engines