Assessing the Potential of Producing Methylic Biodiesel from Jatropha Oil

Since petroleum and its derivatives constitute non-renewable fuel sources, the search for biofuels that will enable sustainable development is extremely relevant, since this might lead to solutions that will avoid a greater dependence on oil-derived products. Besides ethanol, a promising renewable fuel that has also been considered in Brazil is biodiesel, due to the large availability of arable lands in this country. The Brazilian potential for the production of oilseeds and vegetable oil extraction is very high. Indeed, according to USDA – the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Brazil has the potential to expand agricultural production by 170 million hectares. The Brazilian flora contains several potential plant species that could be suitable for large-scale biodiesel production. One such potential plant is Jatropha Curcas.

This work aims to study the physico-chemical characteristics of the oil from Jatropha Curcas as well as the characteristics of the methyl ester of this oil (as a result of methylic transestrification) in order to find out whether it complies with the norms of the Brazilian ANP - National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels.