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Eragam Ramamohan Reddy ¹, Mukesh Sharma ², Jai Prakash Chaudhary ², Hetal Bosamiya ¹, Ramavatar Meena ¹

Affiliations
1 Scale-Up and Process Engineering Unit, CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, G. B. Marg, Bhavnagar 364 002, IN
2 Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Anusandhan Bhavan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi 110 001, IN

Abstract

This article describes a facile one-pot synthesis of bio-diesel from non-treated Jatropha oil (J oil) with high acid value (ca. 17 mg KOH/g). Choline hydroxide exhibited superior catalytic activity than choline im-idazole in the transesterification that yields 95 ± 1% of biodiesel, when the reaction was carried out with 9 : 1 molar ratio of methanol to J oil and 4 wt% catalysts at 60°C for 4 h. Further study showed that the catalyst exhibited almost constant activity for four successive trials after being recycled. The main fuel properties of the final product meets the ASTM standards. Moreo-ver, the properties of biodiesel are identical to those obtained by conventional method (US 7,666,234 B2) and can be used as fuel in the existing diesel engines without any modification.

Keywords

Biodiesel, Jatropha curcus, Ionic Liquid, Transesterification.

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