Amygdalus Scoparia as a New Feedstock for Biodiesel Production

Abstract

Biodiesel is an attractive alternative fuel because of its nontoxicity and biodegradability which can be produced from vegeTable oils and animal fats. Finding a proper feedstock has an important role on the biodiesel characteristics and the price. Therefore in this research, amygdalus Scoparia oil was used as a cheap potential feedstock for biodiesel production which is widespread in arid regions in Iran. This native plant contains 58-60% oil which is consist of 62.81% oleic acid and 23.54% linoleic acid. Biodiesel was produced from transesterification of extracted oil in reaction with methanol in the presence of potassium hydroxide as a catalyst. The reaction variables used were methanol/oil molar ratio (4:1-7:1), catalyst concentration (0.25-1.5%), and reaction time (1-7 h). Optimal conditions for methanolysis were 1% KOH concentration, MeOH/oil of molar ratio 6:1 for a period of 7 h. The yield of biodiesel produced under optimal conditions were 97.32. Overall, amygdalus Scoparia kernel is a promising feedstock for biodiesel production and large cultivation will help to reduce the product cost.