Page 93 - Advances in Eco-Fuels for a Sustainable Environment

Prospects of biodiesel feedstock as an effective ecofuel source and their challenges 67

3.2.1.11 Chinese tallow

Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) is native to Eastern Asia and has naturalized,
sometimes aggressively, in other semiarid to humid warm temperate and subtropical
regions of the world. It is a minor global crop. Tallow tree produces two different oils.
The waxy outer layer of the fruits is called tallow and is melted off the seeds with hot
water or steam in processing. The tallow is used for candles, soap, and fuels and some-
times to prepare an edible replacement for lard. The oil from the seed is called
stillingia oil and has many uses as varnish, paint, machine oil, and illuminant. Both
oils have medicinal uses and both have potential for bioplastics and biodiesel. Yields
are high with 14tonnes per hectare of fruits yielding 2.6tonnes per hectare of oil and
2.8tonnes per hectare of tallow [39]. There is a lot of interest in developing Sapium as
a biodiesel feedstock. Trees can yield until they are 70–100years old [39].

3.2.1.12 Oil palm
African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a major global crop native to West and Central
Africa. It grows well in tropical humid lowlands. Oil palm yields are so high that they
produced 38% of the world’s vegetable oil on only 5% of global oil producing crop-
land as of 2010. Different kinds of oil are pressed from the fruit and the kernel. The
fruits contain 23%–30% oil and the kernels 3%–5% oil [24]. The unrefined oil is red
due to its extremely high levels of beta-carotene. The oil traditionally is used for
cooking, as an illuminant, and in the production of soaps and candles. Modern
uses include refined vegetable oil and margarine, chemical feedstock, and biodiesel
production. Yield of oil palm fruit ranges from 15 to 38tonnes per hectare
(13.5–34.2tonnes per hectare dry weight) or more [24]. This translates to oil yields
of 3–5tonnes per hectare per year or more. In Brazilian polycultures, oil palm
yields 6.4–8.7tonnes per hectare per year [24]. The similar American oil palm
(Elaeis oleifera) is a promising South American species.

3.2.1.13 Coconut

Coconuts are an important global crop in humid and semiarid lowland tropics and are
highly tolerant of salt and wind. Young coconuts provide a sterile source of water and
an important source of drinking water after disasters. They have been used as an emer-
gency source of intravenous fluids. The fruit is sweet and tender when at the “jelly”
stage. When the coconuts ripen and the fruits dries into copra, an edible nutmeat, it
contains 41%–5% fat and 4.5% protein [24]. Coconut oil is pressed from copra. Copra
is also made into coconut milk and cream as well as shredded coconut and many other
products. Coconut husks are the world’s most important perennial source of fiber and
are a valuable biomass resource used for mulching, potting soil, fuel, and activated
carbon filters. Yield of coconuts is around 2–6tonnes of copra (1.1–3.2tonnes per
hectare dry weight copra) [24]. Average global yield of coconut oil is 2.9tonnes
per hectare but can be as high as 4tonnes per hectare [24]. Taller varieties bear in
5years while dwarf varieties bear more but smaller nuts in 3years. Coconuts can live
to be 100years old.