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An Initial Investigation on Production of Biodiesel from Ayurvedic Waste Oil

Lakshmi T. R., Shamnamol G. K.

Biodiesel is considered as the best alternative peterodiesel for internal combustion engines. The simple and easy transesterification process of natural oils and fats is a widely accepted method for the production of biodiesel. But the main concern in usage of biodiesel is the economic viability of producing biodiesel where the cost of source plays a major role. The work proposes the idea of using the oil discharged after the treatment purpose from an ayurvedic hospital or a herbal treatment centre, as a biodiesel source. Preliminary experiments were performed to investigate the suitability of ayurvedic waste oil for biodiesel production. A two stage process involving acid esterification followed by alkali transesterification was adopted for the study. Biodiesel yield of 79% was achieved by the optimisation of alkali catalysed transesterification process. Ayurvedic waste oil was proved to be a potential feed stock for biodiesel preparation. The current work is an initial study towards the complete optimisation of biodiesel production from ayurvedic waste oil. The biodiesel produced from ayurvedic waste oil is a novel substitute for petroleum-based diesel and a green solution to energy and environmental hurdles.