A team of MMSU researchers succeeded lately in converting jatropha seed oil into biodiesel, an alternative fuel to fossil diesel. 

In a test conducted by researchers headed by Dr. Nathaniel R. Alibuyog, director for research, and engineer Nathaniel Ericson R. Mateo, mechanical engineer and COE professor, the jatropha biodiesel in different blends (6%, 8%, 10%, and 100%) ably ran the diesel motor pump.  This was witnessed by Dr. Miriam E. Pascua, MMSU president, and Dr. Catalino A. Blanche, DOST-Balik Scientist at MMSU.

The biodiesel was produced from jatropha seed oil, potassium hydroxide, and either methanol or ethanol.  The extracted jatropha seed oil was successfully transesterified (the process of converting the jatropha seed oil to biodiesel) using the MMSU 95 hBE, a 95 percent fuel-grade bioethanol produced by MMSU, as a substitute of methanol.  The formulation yielded 70 percent biodiesel and 30 percent glycerine, a raw material used in manufacturing soaps and other pharmaceuticals.

The team is optimistic that while the cost of production of biodiesel is still quite high, this can be lessened using the university’s own ethanol produce.  They added that with glycerine as by-product, cost of biodiesel production from jatropha could be compensated as it can be sold separately or can be used by the university in its future pharmaceutical projects.  

The testing of best protocols of oil extraction and the transesterification process is still being conducted by the team composed of Alibuyog and Mateo along with Rochelle Mamuad and Donna Lazo, chemical engineers and COE instructors. For. Charito Samsam, science research specialist II;  and Dr. Shirley Agrupis, chief of  the external affairs office with Dr. Blanche as their Balik Scientist consultant, to optimize biodiesel production and attain cost-efficiency.  The researchers are also doing trials of the best blends of the jatropha biodiesel to different diesel engines.

The conversion of jatropha seed oil to biodiesel is part of the university’s efforts to becoming energy self-sufficient. This project started in 2009 with the three DOST-Balik Scientists as technical consultants and advisers: Dr. Blanche, national program leader, National Environment and Administration, CSRESS, USDA; Dr. Josefino C. Comiso, senior scientist, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbel, Maryland, USA; and Dr. Terencio Sarigumba, scientist, Timber Company Georgia Pacific Corporation, USA