EVALUATING THE FEASIBILITY OF BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FROM CAMELINA SATIVA

Abstract

Camelina sativa has recently attracted great interest as an energy crop for biodiesel production in North America. To assess the feasibility of biodiesel production from camelina grown in Nova Scotia, fuel properties of camelina biodiesel, alkali-catalyzed transesterification process, crude camelina biodiesel purification and improvement on the oxidative stability of camelina biodiesel were investigated in the present study. A high biodiesel yield (about 96 wt. %) was achieved at optimal reaction conditions. The crude camelina biodiesel can be purified using fiber-based biosorbents, such as wood sawdust and shavings. Most of the fuel properties were in agreement with the standards specified in the ASTM D6751 and EN 14214. The inherently poor oxidative stability of camelina biodiesel can be improved to a satisfactory level by adding 1500 ppm of antioxidant, TBHQ. The research presented herein has demonstrated a high feasibility of biodiesel production from Camelina sativa oil.