SEMECARPUS ANACARDIUM L.F. NUT OIL AS BIODIESEL FEED STOCK (ANACARDIACEAE –FAMILY)

*Dr. Vustelamuri Padmavathi

ABSTRACT

As petrol is a fast depleting natural resource, it became a tremendous need for the scientists to search because another alternative renewable resource to petrol is a deemed necessity. Now serious efforts are being made on the production and utilization of biodiesel in India and other parts of the world. As an alternative invention of biodiesel from naturally growing herbal plants became the target. In this study, Semecarpus anacardium L.f. which grows naturally without any cost and care by the time, is analyzed and investigated as a proper feedstock in producing biodiesel for the first time. In order to prove its suitability, its seed and oil were experimented first. The tree is widely distributed through the hotter part of India. It is frequent in dry deciduous forests of Central India. Common in dry deciduous forests of Maharashtra spreading over Khandesi, Marathwada and East Maharashtra, in India. In the present study, biodiesel has been synthesised from Semecarpus anacardium L.f. oil. The acid value of this oil was found to be as 0.5 during these investigations, which leads us to convert it to biodiesel by the esterification followed by trans-esterification process. The methyl esters produced by these methods were analyzed and found that, some of them are suitable as biodiesel fuel to ascertain their suitability as diesel fuels.

Keywords: Semecarpus anacardium L.f., Anacardiaceae Family; alkali trans-esterification; methyl ester; antimicrobial activity; alternative fuel.