Biodiesel Production by Supercritical Methanol from Jojoba Seeds Harvested in the Mesaoria Plain of Cyprus

Abstract

Nowadays, interest in renewable energy sources such as biodiesel is increasing due to the limited resources and environmental impacts of fossil fuels. Jojoba plant (Simmondsia chinensis) is one of the oilseeds with significant potential for biodiesel production. This study investigates the viability of producing biodiesel from jojoba oil extracted from plants grown in the Mesaoria Plain of Cyprus. The Mesaoria Plain, with its favorable climate for jojoba cultivation, presents an ideal location for investigating the usability of this biodiesel feedstock. Supercritical methanol, known for its efficiency in transesterification reactions, offers a novel approach to converting jojoba oil into biodiesel. Through analysis and experiments, this work assesses the crucial variables—temperature, pressure, and reaction time—involved in the supercritical methanol process. Furthermore, the quality attributes of the biodiesel produced, like its fatty acid methyl ester content, viscosity, density, and cetane number, were determined in compliance with international biodiesel standards. In the supercritical methanol transesterification at 240°C and 8.3 MPa, the % achieved conversion in a separate portion of fatty acid esters was 97.8 %. The findings of this research contribute valuable insights into the potential of jojoba-derived biodiesel as a sustainable energy solution in Cyprus and beyond.