INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN ENERGY, vol.10, no.4, pp.370-377, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
Biodiesel has been produced from various vegetable oils, such as palm, canola (rapeseed), cottonseed, sunflower, and soybean oils as well as a variety of less common oils. This study evaluated the production of biodiesel using tea seed (Camellia sinensis) oil as a raw material. Methyl ester was produced by transesterification of tea seed oil with methanol in the presence of a catalyst (NaOH). The fuel properties such as pour point (PP), kinematic viscosity, cetane number, flash point, density, copper strip corrosion, and heating value were determined and discussed in light of American (ASTM D6751) and European (EN 14214) biodiesel standards. Not only the specifications of pure biodiesel but also its blends with diesel fuel were analyzed. Biodiesel produced from tea seed oil exhibit a low pour point value of5 degrees C, one of the lowest found for a biodiesel fuel. The cold flow properties of tea seed methyl ester (TSME) demonstrate its operational viability during the cold weather conditions. As a result, tea seed oil, as agricultural crop, might be a reasonable raw material for the biodiesel production.