Evaluation of Cyperus esculentus oil as a feedstock for biodiesel fuel production

Abstract

As the production of biodiesel fuel increases, the demand of raw material for its production – rapeseed oil – continuesly rise. In EU countries, including Lithuania, the amount of land available to grow rapeseed is limited because of the need for crop rotation and the suitability of the soil for rapeseed growing. Cyperus esculentus seeds have potential for the production of biodiesel fuel, since the seeds contain not only a significant amount of oil (28.1 %), while their productivity is about 4 times greater than that of rapeseed. The fatty acid methyl esters of Cyperus esculentus oil meet the equirements of the Standard that defines biodiesel fuel quality, except for the cold filter plugging point, which is only +1.4 oC. The cold filter plugging point of fatty acid methyl esters produced from Cyperus esculentus oil can be reduced to -5.5 0C by adding 1250 ppm of the depressant Wintron XC-30 or 1800 ppm of Infineum R-442. In Lithuania, such a product can be used as fuel during the summer period.