Extraction of oil from Jatropha seed for biodiesel production with zeolite-catalyzed transesterification

The search for renewable energy sources has driven significant interest in biodiesel production from non-edible, less commercialized oilseeds. Jatropha curcas , a drought-resistant plant with high oil content, has been identified as a promising feedstock for sustainable biodiesel production. This study investigates the extraction of oil from Jatropha seeds and its subsequent conversion to biodiesel via transesterification using zeolite as a heterogeneous catalyst. This study focuses on the efficiency of oil extraction, the optimization of catalyst loading operating conditions, and the response of the produced methyl ester with respect to its yield and fuel quality. Results demonstrate that the oil yield from Jatropha seeds was 56.89% when using zeolite catalysts, which enhance transesterification efficiency. This process produced biodiesel with a yield of 96% and an R 2 of 0.9605, meeting international fuel standards (ASTM D6751 ). The findings highlight the potential of zeolite-based catalysis as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative to homogeneous catalysts in large-scale biodiesel production.