Journal of Engineering in Industrial Research

h-index: 18     i10-index: 25

Synthesis and Physicochemical Characterization of Biodiesel from Jatropha Curcas Seed Oil Collected in the Railway Quarters Bauchi

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Nasiru Yunusa 1
Ali Fachway Abubakar 2
Muhammad Hadi Ibrahim 3
Yakubu Adamu 2
Mihammed Isah Zigau 4

1 Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Atbu Bauchi, Nigeria

2 Mechanical/Production, Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria

3 Automotive Engineering, ATBU, Bauchi, Nigeria

4 Mechanical/Production Engineering, ATBU, Bauchi, Nigeria

https://doi.org/10.48309/jeires.2026.541564.1311
Abstract
 
This study investigated the synthesis of biodiesel from Jatropha curcas seeds using methanol as an esterification agent. The process commenced with the extraction of oil from the seeds through solvent extraction, followed by a comprehensive analysis of the oil’s physicochemical properties to evaluate its suitability for biodiesel production. The extracted oil exhibited favorable properties, including a saponification value of 187.14 mg KOH/g oil NaOH, an acid value of 1.00 mg/L, a peroxide value of 6.600 mg/g, free fatty acid content of 0.990 mg/g, an iodine value of 57.147 mg/g, specific gravity (dimensionless, relative to water at 25 °C) (dimensionless, relative to water at 25 °C) of 0.802, and a density of 0.911 g/cm³. Its liquid state at 25 °C further supports its potential as a viable feedstock. Biodiesel was subsequently synthesized via a catalyzed transesterification reaction and subjected to a quality assessment. The resulting biodiesel displayed a pH of 5.50, a cloud point of 2 °C, a pour point of -2 °C, and a flash point of 147 °C. Additional measured properties include a density of 0.911 g/cm³, specific gravity (dimensionless, relative to water at 25 °C) (dimensionless, relative to water at 25 °C) of 0.802, a saponification value of 187.14 mg KOH/g oil, a peroxide value of 53.1 mg/g NaOH, an acid value of 2.38 mg/L, free fatty acid content of 1.19 mg/g, and an iodine value of 54.247. The close alignment of these values with established biodiesel standards confirms that Jatropha curcas seed oil is a suitable and commercially viable raw material for biodiesel production.

Graphical Abstract

Synthesis and Physicochemical Characterization of Biodiesel from Jatropha Curcas Seed Oil Collected in the Railway Quarters Bauchi

Keywords

Biodiesel
Jatropha curcas
Synthesis
Transesterification

Subjects

OPEN ACCESS

©2026 The author(s). This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Journal of Engineering in Industrial Research
Volume 7, Issue 1
Winter 2026
Pages 56-64

  • Receive Date 16 August 2025
  • Revise Date 07 October 2025
  • Accept Date 20 October 2025

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