Assessment of Biodiesel Fuel Potentials of Seed Crude Oil Extracts of Balanites aegyptiaaca   (L.) Del

Study on assessmentof biodiesel fuel potentials of seed crude oil extracts of Balanites aegyptiaaca (L.) Del was carriedout. Standard methods of the Association of Official and Analytical Chemist (AOAC) were adopted to evaluate the proximate, physico-chemical properties and fatty acid compositions of crude seed oil extracts of the test plant. The proximate constituents of the crude seed oil extract gave crude protein (22.09%), crude fat (56.75%), moisturecontent (1.35%), ash (4.70%), crudefiber (12.75%) and carbohydrate (2.36%). The crude oil physicochemical properties included saponification value(216.439mgKOH/g), peroxide value(4.84meq/kg), acid value(2.18mgKOH/g), iodine value(77.08g/100g), viscosity value(150.3@30°C) and cetane number(54.08), refractive index(1.487 @30°C), relative density (0.949g/cm³) while calorific value was 39.03(MJ/kg). The fatty acids composition of crude kernel oil extract of B. aegyptiaca indicated the presence of four (4) fatty acids, with relative percentage abundance (RPA) in the order of 67.17% (9,12-Octadecanoic acid (C₁₉H₃₄0₂)) > 16.22% (Pentadecanoic acid (C₁₇H₃₄0₂)) > 11.8kg% (Heptacosanoic acid (C₂₈H₅₆0₂)) > 4.72% (Oleic acid(C₁₈H₃₄0₂)). These properties conferred relative prospects on the crude oil of the test plant as a suitable potential biodiesel substrate and consequently, large scale aforestation efforts be renewed, to guarantee ready availability of the raw materials.

Keywords
Balanites aegyptiaca; Biodiesel; proximate; physicochemical; crude seed oil extracts