Page 101 - Advances in Eco-Fuels for a Sustainable Environment

74 Advances in Eco-Fuels for a Sustainable Environment

3.2.2.5 Caper oil (Euphorbia lathyris L.)

The Caper tree or mole plant belongs to the family of Euphorbiaceae. It is found in
northwestern Africa, southwestern Asia, southern Europe, and western China. It is
a biennial tree that can thrive in drought, frost, and arid soils in which other crops can-
not survive. Caper spurge grows naturally as a weed in Chile. The seed contains >48%
oil and a yield of 1500–2500kg of oil per hectare per year is achievable [7]. The oil and
the residue from the oil extraction of the caper spurge contain irritating substances,
making it impossible for human and animal consumption.
The feasibility of caper spurge as a biofuel is enhanced by its low sulfur content of
approximately 0.001%. The biodiesel obtained from caper oil gives good quality and
has been considered as a potential oilseed substitute for Jatropha curcas L. The bio-
diesel from the caper oil in terms of yield and quality is comparable to that of B. napus
oil and greater than that of R. communis oil. The saturation, monosaturation, and poly-
saturation of fatty acid present in the oil are, respectively, 8.78%, 82.16%, and 6.49%
[7, 12, 19, 49].

3.2.2.6 Karanja oil (Pongamia pinnata L.)

Koranja belongs to the family of Leguminosae; Papilonaceae. It is native to several
countries such as Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Northern
Australia, and Myanmar [17]. It is a fast-growing leguminous tree that is drought resis-
tant, moderately frost hardy, highly tolerant of salinity, and can grow in wide varieties of
soil. These factors support its large-scale cultivation suitable for biodiesel requirement.
It is a hardy tree that reaches a height of 12–15m with branches spreading into
hemispheral crown of dense green leaves [10, 11]. It requires an annual rainfall of
between 500 and 2500mm and a temperature of 38°C [7, 44]. It matures between 4
and 7years of planting and can be planted directly by seed sowing, transplanting, or
by cutting the root or shoot [7]. It is a nitrogen fixing tree that has high oil seed produc-
tion with the ability to grow on marginal land; it has a disagreeable odor and bitter taste.
The seed is about 10–20mm long and has a light brown coloration. The freshly extracted
oil is yellowish orange and contains toxic substances that prevent its human consump-
tion. The residue obtained after the oil extraction can be used as nematicide. The seed
contains between 25% and 50% of oil while the kernel contains between 30% and 50%
of oil [7]. The yield of oil per hectare per year is approximated at 225–2250kg (wt%).
It has been identified as a potential feedstock for biodiesel. The yield of biodiesel
from karanja oil at optimized conditions has been put at 97%–98%. The saturation,
monosaturation, and polysaturation of fatty acid present in the oil are, respectively,
29.20%, 51.80%, and 19.00% [7, 10, 11, 19, 42, 44].

3.2.2.7 Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

Tobacco has a long history in the production of cigars and cigarettes. It is cultivated in
several areas, including Macedonia, Turkey, North America, and South America. The
tobacco seeds have not been well explored commercially, although the plant has more
seeds than leaves. The commercial potential of the seeds includes it use for biodiesel