Characterization of Coconut Oil and Its Biodiesel

The aim of this research is to characterize biodiesel produced from coconut oil with a view to finding its suitability as alternative fuel for diesel engine.

Biodiesel are alternative diesel fuels usually obtained from renewable sources, mainly, vegetable and animal oils. Oil was extracted from coconuts bought from a local market in Kaduna State, Nigeria, which is one of the sources of vegetable oil, by wet milling method. The extracted coconut oil was degummed and the percentage yield was found to be 45.5% and it was characterized. Results obtained showed that the coconut oil has specific gravity, viscosity, free fatty acid, saponification value, iodine value, perioxide value and acid value of 0.912, 23 mm2/s, 28.025 mg/g, 191.89, 121.1, 8 mol/kg and 14.025 mgKOH/g respectively. Biodiesel of the oil was produced using transesterification process. The percentage yield of the biodiesel was found to be 49.8% and it was also characterized. Results obtained showed that the biodiesel has specific gravity, viscosity, free fatty acid, acid value, saponification value, iodine value, calorific value, flash point, fire point, cloud point, pour point and cetane number of 0.89, 2.7 mm2/s, 0.38 mg/g, 0.18 mgKOH/g, 154, 124.6, 49 MJ/kg, 100°C, 123°C, 0°C, -3°C and 51 respectively. Some of the physicochemical properties of the biodiesel compared well with that of diesel and in the range of ASTM specifications.