Production of bio-diesel from non-edible dried fruits of Lagerstroemia speciosa

Rapid urbanization and increase in population have evoked tremendous attention for bio fuels production to combat shortage of fuels, environmental concerns, foreign exchange savingsand socioeconomic issues. In recent years biodiesel production from agro-industrial feedstocks such as waste vegetable oil, animal fat, grease, non-edible fruit oils etc.,acquired prominent place to fulfil the gap between production and demand. The present investigation has been undertaken to explore a noveland environmentally friendly process for developing biodiesel production technology by subjecting dried fruits of Lagerstroemia speciosa to mild ultrasonication at 33KHz for 20 min at 35±2°C for obtaining high lipid yield, precursor for the production of biodiesel by transesteri fication. The biodiesel compounds 2,4di-tert-butylphenol, hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z, Z) methyl ester, 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester, methyl stearate, cis-11,14-eicosadienoic acid methyl ester, 18-methylnonadecanoate were recognized as the main compounds in GC-MS analysis.