Experimental investigation of kapok (Ceiba pentandra) oil biodiesel as an alternate fuel for diesel engine

This manuscript explores the possibility of using kapok oil as a source for biodiesel production and experimentally investigate it, KME (kapok oil methyl ester), as a diesel engine fuel. Distinctly, this manuscript is novel on the basis of adopting a different approach in extracting oil from kapok seeds and testing of the produced KME in a diesel engine, perhaps for the first time. Accordingly, kapok oil, an indigenous source, has been extracted from kapok seeds through steam treatment process followed by crushing in an expeller, which has not been considered so far by researchers. Significantly, this method is chosen with the intent to extract oil for its use in diesel engine. Typically, KME is synthesized by trans-esterification process, and the properties of it, evaluated by ASTM standard methods, are in concordance with biodiesel standards. Having ensured the feasibility of its use in diesel engine, KME is tested in a single cylinder diesel engine to appraise the performance, combustion and emission characteristics of the engine. The experimental investigation reveals that the thermal efficiency of the engine for B25 is superior to conventional diesel by 4%. In the same token, the emission and combustion results of lower blend of KME (B25), showed comparable results with diesel, making KME as one of the pertinent fuel for diesel engine.