A Critical Review of Croton as a Multipurpose Nonedible Tree Plant for Biodiesel Production towards Feedstock Diversification for Sustainable Energy

Abstract

Oil demand has risen steadily due to the growing industrialization and modernization of the world. In addition to rising costs, the supply of fossil fuels is also declining. These and many other concerns couple with food shortages have drawn attention of scientists to a substitute fuel that is generated from feedstocks that can be renewed. Biodiesel as an alternative fuel with a lot of expectations is produced using edible grown conventional vegetable oils such as sunflower, rapeseed, palm, and soybean. The production of biodiesel from edible oils has, meanwhile, worsened the existing competitiveness of oil used for food and fuel. Emphasis on using nonedible feedstock is currently guided by research to discover more potential nonedible feedstock such as croton. Differences between perceptions and facts about these nonedible oils necessitate efforts to diversify feedstocks into sources that can warrant the production of energy without impacting on the security of food. Croton is a multipurpose evergreen plant that is nonedible and is commonly present and cultivated under environmental and socio-economic conditions, which are complex in nature. This plant, referred to as a golden tree, has various uses including fuels, medicinal, ornamentals, dyes, feed, enriching of soil, and afforestation. This research was therefore carried out to investigate the multipurpose use croton. Among the highlighted areas include croton (feedstock) used for biodiesel, the necessity for croton seed oil and its value chain, the process for the modifying croton oil to biodiesel, factors that influence the production of biodiesel, the application of croton biodiesel in engines for efficiency and emission characteristics, and prospects for croton biodiesel.

Catalytic Conversion of Jatropha curcas Oil to Biodiesel Using Mussel Shell-Derived Catalyst: Characterization, Stability, and Comparative Study

“…The observed trends underscore the complexity of biodiesel production, where even subtle changes in methanol-to-oil ratios can significantly influence methyl ester composition. The 18:1 ratio, identified as optimal in this study, balances methanol availability and efficient triglyceride conversion [60]. These insights pave the way for more precise and efficient biodiesel production processes in alignment with sustainability goals.…”

Production of Biodiesel from Nonedible Parkia biglobosa Oil under Acidic Condition

“…Furthermore, it was noted that at 70 °C, the reaction was still not complete. Tis observation could be because of a slight increase in the viscosity of the oil which results in oil and the catalyst mixing poorly [20,28,42]. 3 indicates the infuence of catalyst concentration on the yield of biodiesel.…”