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Raw Materials to Produce Low-Cost Biodiesel 113

on oils/fats without an OH group, or a blending with conventional diesel
fuel [60].

4.2.3 Cottonseed oil
Crop description. Gossypium spp., commonly known as cotton, belongs
to the family Malvaceae and is native to the tropical and subtropical
regions (see Fig. 4.4). Four separate domesticated species of cotton
grown in various parts of the world are G. arboreum L., G. herbaceum
L., G. hirsutum L., and G. barbadense L. Cotton shrubs are annual and
found in the United States, Australia, Asia, and Egypt. Some have been
grown for many years in southern Europe, mainly the Balkans and
Spain. It can grow up to 3 m high [61–64].

Main uses. Cotton is a major world fiber crop. Its fiber grows around
the seeds of the cotton plant and is used to make textile, which is the
most widely used natural-fiber cloth. The seeds yield a valuable oil used
for the production of cooking oil or margarine. The fatty acid composi-
tion includes mainly palmitic acid (21%), stearic acid (2.4%), oleic acid
(19.5%), linoleic acid (54.3%), and myristic acid (0.9%). Cottonseed oil,
cake, meal, and hulls for feeding are other uses of the by-products.
Whole cottonseed may be used as a feed for mature cattle. Cottonseed
meal is an excellent protein supplement for cattle. The limitations on
effective utilization of this product in rations for swine and poultry are
of minor significance to ruminant animals. Cottonseed meal has a rel-
atively low rumen degradability and is therefore a good source of by-pass
protein and is especially useful in rations for milking cows [61–64].

Figure 4.4 Gossypium spp. (Photo
courtesy of Prof. Jack Bacheler
[http://ipm.ncsu.edu/
cotton/InsectCorner/photos/
images/Open_cotton_plant.jpg].)