Fuel Properties of Pongamia (Milletia pinnata) Seeds and Pods Grown in Hawaii

Abstract

Pongamia, a leguminous, oilseed-bearing tree, is a potential resource for renewable fuels in general and sustainable aviation fuel in particular. The present work characterizes physicochemical properties of reproductive materials (seeds and pods) from pongamia trees grown in different environments at five locations on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. Proximate and ultimate analyses, heating value, and elemental composition of the seeds, pods, and de-oiled seed cake were determined. The oil content of the seeds and the properties of the oil were determined using American Society for Testing and Materials and American Oil Chemist’s Society methods. The seed oil content ranged from 19 to 33 wt % across the trees and locations. Oleic (C18:1) was the fatty acid present in the greatest abundance (47 to 60 wt %), and unsaturated fatty acids accounted for 77 to 83 wt % of the oil. Pongamia oil was found to have similar characteristics as other plant seed oils (canola and jatropha) and would be expected to be well suited for hydroprocessed production of sustainable aviation fuel. Nitrogen-containing species is retained in the solid phase during oil extraction, and the de-oiled seed cake exhibited enrichment in the N content, ∼5 to 6%, in comparison with the parent seed. The pods would need further treatment before being used as fuel for combustion or gasification owing to the high potassium and chlorine contents.

Comprehensive Characterization of Kukui Nuts as Feedstock for Energy Production in Hawaii

“…In general, the kukui oil content is within the upper range of other nuts that include hazelnut, almond, walnut, and macadamia. 31 Figure 1A,B compares the proximate and ultimate analysis results of kukui seeds, seed cakes, and shells with those of pongamia (Millettia pinnata), 22 kamani (Calophyllum inophyl- 25 20.11 solvent Cabral et al 26 42 solvent Villarante et al 15 56 solvent Sulistyo et al 10 30 mechanical Marti ́n et al 11 43.2 mechanical Budianto et al 27 39 mechanical a Pham et al 13 20−30 mechanical Marti ́n et al 11 56.3 mechanical + solvent b Nik Norulaini et al 28 52.6 supercritical CO 2 Siddique et al 29 70. 12 S1.…”

“…Figure1. Comparison of proximate (A) and ultimate (B) analysis results of kukui seeds, de-oiled cakes, and shells with those of kamani, pongamia,22 and soybean 32. Note: the data utilized for plotting are derived from the values presented in TablesS1, S2, and S6 of ref22 and Table 1 of ref 32.T h i s c o n t e n t i s o n l y l i c e n s e d f o r c o n s u m p t i o n b y A u t h o r i z e d U s e r s a f f i l i a t e d w i t h s c i t e .…”

A critical review of Pongamia pinnata multiple applications: From land remediation and carbon sequestration to socioeconomic benefits

“…Many studies have examined the suitability of Pongamia oil as a source of biofuel (Bala et al, 2011;Bobade and Khyade, 2012;Cox et al, 2014;Fu et al, 2021;Karmee and Chadha, 2005;Khayoon et al, 2012;Meher et al, 2006;Raheman and Phadatare, 2004;Sahu et al, 2011;Scott et al, 2008;Sharma and Singh, 2008). Oil content varies between 15 and 45% depending on the provenance and in terms of oil content, elite trees are selected on the basis of ~40% (Arpiwi et al, 2017;Fu et al, 2021;Kesari et al, 2008;Kumar and Kaushik, 2015;Mukta et al, 2009;Patel and Sankhavara, 2017;Wylie et al, 2021). The presence of toxic flavonoids means Pongamia oil is not fit for human consumption (Meher et al, 2006) so Pongamia has been classified as a second-generation biofuel which are produced from non-food crops thereby reducing competition with arable land.…”

Investigation of Combustion of the Gas Turbine Engine from Kerosene and Biokerosene and Their Soot Characteristics in Diffusion Flames

“…The work presented that the light biodiesels may be blended with Jet A1 up to a minimum of 5% volume was met the ASTM D1655. The physicochemical properties of reproductive materials from Pongamia trees growing under various conditions at five separate sites on the island of Oahu in Hawaii were studied by Fu et al Pongamia oil was discovered to share traits with canola and Jatropha seed oils, and it would be predicted to be well adapted for hydroprocessing production of sustainable aviation fuel; however, pods would need additional processing before being used as fuel because of their high potassium and chlorine levels. Donoso et al compared hydrogenated turpentine at various levels of conversion with turpentine obtained by vacuum distillation of resin obtained from the common pine Pinus pinaster or as the paper industry byproduct.…”

“…As soon as they are generated, the aviation biofuels are evaluated according to their specifications, including distillation points, flash point, density, freezing point, viscosity, net heat of combustion, smoke point, vapor pressure, acidity, aromatics, sulfur, thermal stability, and so on. These biofuels are blended with conventional aviation fuels in different proportions to determine their compliance with the ASTM standard, which has been demonstrated in published studies. − In addition, many studies have addressed biofuel’s soot emissions because of their significant and critical impacts on engines, human health, and the environment.…”