Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE FUEL THROUGH DECARBOXYLATION OF PONGAMIA PINNATA L. SEED OILS

Godlief F. Neonufa, Tirto Prakoso and Nimrot E.M. Neonufa

Abstract

The diminishing reserves of fossil fuel, indecision in its availability and global warming issues has interested many researchers to look for the renewable source of fuel. The main source of renewable liquid fuel was oils of the seed crops. One of the oil seed crops that had been studied is Pongamia pinnata L. (further is called P. pinnata). Oil content and fatty acid composition are important attribute desirable in seed oil. Mono-unsaturated fatty acids are the best components for bio diesel (i.e. oxygenate fuel) when considering the low temperature fluidity and oxidative stability. However, bio diesel derived from vegetable oils always consists of significant amounts of polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids alkyl esters, which hampers its practical applications. Therefore, in order to increase added value of vegetable oils, the oxygenate fuels (e.g. bio diesel)should be modified to bio hydrocarbon fuel (e.g. green diesel) which has similar properties to diesel fuel from fossil. In addition, straight-chain saturated hydrocarbon molecules (n-paraffin) should be as well as modified to be branched hydrocarbons to lowering the freezing point and low temperature fluidity of the renewable fuel. Therefore, the renewable fuel applications become more widely. The objective of this work to evaluate the bio hydrocarbon (renewable fuel) profile that resulting of decarboxylation of Mg-Zn basic soap based on P. pinnata seed oil. It was found that oil content in P. pinnata seeds originate of Kupang was36.01 weight%. The monoun saturated compounds contained in the oil approximately 30%. Decarboxylationof Mg-Zn basic soap resulting high bio hydrocarbon with main carbon chain length were 15 (C15).