Biodiesel Production from Thevetia peruviana Seed Oil using FTIR and GC-MS Techniques to Investigate the Conversion Process

Authors: Ishaya ZD, Pam GY, Joseph S, Ede GE

DOI Info: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7496658

ABSTRACT

Biodiesel production from Thevetia peruviana seed oil was investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) techniques. Sample seed kernels were processed using mechanical press and the oil extracted. Agilent technologies FTIR spectrophotometer was used to obtain the oil infrared spectrum. A fused silica column, filled with Elite-5MS (95% dimethylpolysiloxane 5% biphenyl, 30 m × 0.25 mm ID × 250 ?m df) on GCMS-QO2010 Shimadzu Japan equipment. The NIST library database was used to compare and identify the chemical compounds. The FTIR results of crude oil and the derived biodiesel indicates functional groups reduction from 8 peaks to 7 peaks, while the GCMS data showed an increase in the chemical compounds from 9 peaks to 10 peaks. The GCMS analysis confirmed the presence of fatty acids containing most of the functional groups identified in the FTIR. The dominant FTIR compounds as characterized were 73.57% fatty acids and 19.04% naturally occurring fatty acid methyl esters in the crude oil. The produced biodiesel is mainly oleic acid (C₁₈H₃₄O₂) (36.60% area), palmitic acid (C₂₆H₃₂O₂) (28.31% area), and 11-octadecenoic acid, methyl ester (C₁₉H₃₆O₂) (10.97% area). The GC-MS dominant biodiesel compounds were 62.87% fatty acid methyl esters, 19.28% fatty acids, 11.42% alkanals, 4.14% alkanols, and 2.28% ether groups, having good fuel properties. The useful biodiesel fuel from this feedstock seed oil will reduce waste and add value.

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