Comparative Analysis of the Properties of Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil Biodiesel from Leventis Farm, Agenebode Edo State

Abstract

Biodiesel is a renewable, environmentally friendly, and economically viable alternative to conventional diesel fuel. This study aimed to compare the properties of palm oil and palm kernel oil biodiesel produced from Leventis Farm in Agenebode, Edo State, Nigeria. The research involved the extraction and transesterification of the oils in producing biodiesel and the analysis of the properties of the biodiesel. The analyzed properties include density, viscosity, flash point, pour point, acid value, and cetane number. The density of palm oil biodiesel was 870 kg/m³, while that of palm kernel oil biodiesel was 835 kg/m³. The viscosity of palm oil biodiesel was 6.09 mm²/s, while that of palm kernel oil biodiesel was 3.95 mm²/s. The flash point of palm oil biodiesel was 146 °C, while that of palm kernel oil biodiesel was 120 °C. The pour point of palm oil biodiesel was -3 °C, while that of palm kernel oil biodiesel was -6 °C. The acid value of palm oil biodiesel was 0.48 mg KOH/g, while that of palm kernel oil biodiesel was 0.70 mg KOH/g. The cetane number of palm oil biodiesel was 51.5, while that of palm kernel oil biodiesel was 49.5. The results of the analysis were compared and discussed to determine the suitability of palm oil and palm kernel oil as sources of biodiesel.