Acid-Base Catalyzed Transesterification of Archontopheonix cunninghamiana (Bangalow Palm) Seed Oil

Abstract

Currently, majority of global energy is sourced from petrochemicals which comes with its attendant environmental challenges. Efforts are therefore focused on developing renewable sources for energy and biofuel is in the front burner for these alternatives. In this paper, we explored Archontopheonix cunninghamiana seed; an inedible and waste material, as an opportunity for alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. The oil extraction recorded a low yield which may not be economically viable; the transesterification of extracted oil gave 94.56% yield of biodiesel. Physicochemical analyses of the produced biodiesel showed viscosity of biodiesel to be 2.64 mm2 /s, which is within American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) and EN590:1999 petrol diesel specifications. It also has a pour point value of 8 °C which is within acceptable range of European Committee for Standardization EN590:2008 for petrol diesel. The flashpoint was found to be 110 °C which make for easy handling and transportation and agrees with EN14214:2008 minimum value of 101 °C. Spectroscopic studies done on the extracted oil and the produced biodiesel showed successful transesterification of the oil and good biodiesel quality.

Keywords: Archontopheonix cunninghamiana, bangalow palm, transesterification, biodiesel