Sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus “dulcis”) seeds as a potential feedstock for Nigerian Biodiesel Automotive Project

Abstract

This work presents sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus "dulcis") seed oil (SASO) as a non-conventional feedstock for the preparation of biodiesel in Nigeria, rather than the traditional oils of palm, groundnut and palm kernel. SASO was extracted via the solvent method, pretreated to reduce the acid value, and transesterified using methanol (solvent) and sodium hydroxide (catalyst). The oil content and acid value of SASO were 51.45 ± 3.92% and 1.07 mg KOH/g, respectively. The fatty acid composition of SASO reveals the predominance of oleic acid (69.7%), linoleic acid (18.2%) and palmitic acid (9.3%). Specific fuel properties of sweet almond oil methyl esters (SAOME) were determined using standard test methods and were found to satisfy both EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 biodiesel standards; the cold flow properties were particularly outstanding (cloud point; -3ºC and pour point; -9ºC). SASO appears to offer great promise as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production in Nigeria.Keywords: sweet almond seeds, fuel properties, transesterification, oil, biodiesel, Nigeria. Sementes de amêndoa doce (Prunus amygdalus "dulcis") como uma matéria-prima potencial para o Projeto Nigeriano de Biodiesel Automotive RESUMOEste trabalho apresenta o óleo de semente (SASO) de amêndoa doce (Prunus Amygdalus "dulcis") como matéria-prima não convencional para a preparação de biodiesel na Nigéria em adição aos óleos tradicionais de amendoim e dendê. O SASO foi extraído usando o método de solvente, pré-tratado para reduzir o índice de acidez e transesterificado usando metanol (solvente) e hidróxido de sódio (catalisador). O teor de óleo e o valor ácido do SASO foram 51,45 ± 3,92% e 1,07 mg de KOH/g, respectivamente. A composição de ácidos graxos do SASO revela a predominância de ácido oleico (69,7%), ácido linoleico (18,2%) e ácido palmítico (9,3%). As propriedades combustíveis específicas de ésteres metílicos do óleo de amêndoa doce (SAOME) foram determinadas utilizando métodos de ensaio normalizados e satisfizeram tanto as normas de biodiesel EN 14214 e ASTM D6751, especialmente as 38 Solomon Giwa et al.Rev. Ambient. Água vol. 9 n. 1 Taubaté -Jan. / Mar. 2014 propriedades de fluxo a frio foram excelentes (ponto de nuvem; -3ºC e ponto de fluidez; -9ºC). Conclusivamente, o SASO parece ser uma matéria-prima potencial para produção de biodiesel na Nigéria. Palavra-chave: sementes de amêndoa doce, propriedades de combustível, transesterificação, petróleo, biodiesel, Nigéria.

Effect of degumming and catalyst type on physiochemical and biodiesel properties of tropical-almond (<i>Terminalia catappa</i>) seed oil

“…The fatty acids comprises of myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), stearic acid (C18:0), oleic acid (C18:1), linoleic acid (C18:2) and arachidic acid (C20:0). The percentage composition of fatty acid obtained in this study was similar to those of other species of Terminalia catappa previously reported by (Dos Santos et al, 2008;Adewuyi et al, 2011, Ng et al, 2015 with the exception of sweat almond (Giwa and Ogunbona 2014). It was observed (from Table 1 and Fatty acids above) that degumming process slightly increased the level of saturation and reduced the total level of unsaturation of the degummed oil.…”

“…almond seeds were gathered and sun-dried for two weeks before being milled using domestic blender. The resulting powder was preserved in airtight sample bottles under cool condition in preparation for oil extraction (Giwa and Ogunbona, 2014).…”

Application of soft-computing techniques for statistical modeling and optimization of Dyacrodes edulis seed oil extraction using polar and non-polar solvents

“…Polar solvents that were commonly studied were acetone, ethyl acetate, iso-propanol and ethanol while n-hexane has remained the non-polar solvent of most interest by previous authors ( Adebayo et al, 2012 ; Bello et al, 2011 ). N-hexane has been applied by several researchers because of its ability to extract high amount of oil from plant seeds ( Giwa and Ogunbona, 2014 ; Betiku and Adepoju, 2013 ). Also, other reasons why non-polar solvents like hexane are preferred in many cases are due to their many superior attributes such as: simple recoveries, low latent heat of vaporization (330 kJ/kg), narrow boiling point range (63-69 °C) and high solubility.…”

Experimental and theoretical assessment of phenomena linked with separation and purification of biodiesel from Ricinus communis seed oil

“…The free fatty acid value obtained was observed to be consistent with the various standards of ASTM D9751 , EN 14214, and ASTM D6751 . The acid value of the castor oil biodiesel obtained after the transesterification process of the castor seed oil was considered to be good when compared with similar oils in fuel production [ 106 , 107 ]. The ash content of castor seed oil biodiesel was above the limits of the different standards (ASTM D and EN) which could likely be due to the presence of mineral elements in the biodiesel [ 108 ].…”