Abstract

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The need for new renewable energy resources and its utilization as sustainable solution for transport fuel, respiratory health and environmental problems drives this study. This study involved chemical profiling of African Mahogany (AM) methyl esters fatty acid (ME-FA) produced at multiple of two times, three times and four times seed oil to methanol molar ratios (MR). The key factors kept constant were 1% NaOH catalyst concentration at o 60C processed in 1 hour. The oil yield from African mahogany seed kernel was 44.88% by weight. The percent free fatty acid was reduced serially from 34.78 mg (KOH)/g (of the oil) by H SO acid esterification to 0.46 mg 2 4 (KOH)/g (of the oil). This was followed by the 1% NaOH transesterification at different multiples of oil to methanol molar portions. The chemical profiles of the biodiesel yields were characterised using the gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer (GCMS) system. The results indicated increasing yields of ME-FA at 71.73% for AM at MR – 1:6, 85.96% for AM at MR – 1:9 and 84.37% for AM at MR – 1:12. Similarly, the essential component of Octadecenoic acid methyl ester increased from 16.55% in crude AM oil to produce biodiesels at 40.25%, 40.80% and 43.21% for the biodiesel samples. Thus, a mathematical model y = 10.505x + 47.048 (MR = 1 < x < 5) was established.

Keywords: Methyl ester fatty acid, Biodiesel Yield, African mahogany, Oil-Methanol molar ratio, Chemical profile.