Abstract
It is well known that biodiesel from pure coconut oil is suited best for diesel engine operation. However, the commercialization of coconut oil biodiesel is unfeasible due to its higher cost and demand as a food material. In this study, biodiesels were produced from coconut testa oil and coconut waste cooking oil, two waste feedstock derivatives of coconut. Fatty acid composition and properties such as density, calorific value, kinematic viscosity, cloud and pour points, flash and fire points, Conradson carbon residue, and copper strip corrosion of these two biodiesels were determined and compared with those of fresh coconut oil biodiesel and the standard diesel. It was found that the properties and fatty acid profiles of all three biodiesels were similar. Furthermore, from the engine testing using B20 (diesel-biodiesel blend with 20% biodiesel) blends of prepared biodiesels, it was found that the engine performance, emission, and combustion characteristics were comparable for coconut testa oil and coconut waste cooking oil biodiesels with fresh coconut oil biodiesel. Thus the coconut testa oil and coconut waste cooking oil can be used as low-cost feedstocks for biodiesel production with all advantages of fresh coconut oil.
Feasibility of Coconut Testa oil and Coconut Waste Cooking oil as Potential Biodiesel Feedstocks