Melon (Citrullus lanatus) Seed Oil a Potential Source for Biodiesel Production

Melon (Citrullus lanatus) seed oil was transesterified using 1% sodium hydroxide at 60°C to produce biodiesel. The percentage yield of the biodiesel was high, indicative of a good biodiesel feedstock. The biodiesel obtained showed good quality on characterization of its fuel properties. The relative density was found to be 0.88 with lower kinematic viscosity of 2.596mm²/s. The acid value was 0.36mg, iodine value 111.67mg and peroxide value 0.06meq. The flash point and the cetane number were 120°C and 55.84 respectively while the heat of combustion was 39.3 MJ/Kg. These results show that melon seed oil has good biodiesel properties and may be suitable as fuel for internal combustion engine.