Manilkara zapota (L.) Seed Oil: A New Third Generation Biodiesel Resource

The economic development of any country is appreciably affected by the extensive use of rapidly depleting fossil resources. Identifying new, renewable based energy resource is of vital importance and is a global requirement too. This study focusses attention on the introduction of a new biodiesel resource Manilkara zapota seed oil, production and characterization of biodiesel from M. zapota seed oil. The raw oil is extracted from the seed by a mechanical expeller. The composition of fatty acids and physicochemical properties of the raw oil have been estimated. The suitability of M. zapota seed oil for biodiesel production was studied based on its chemical structure and physicochemical properties. Methyl ester was produced from the raw M. zapota seed oil using transesterification process using an alkaline catalyst. The composition of fatty acids and physicochemical properties of the biodiesel derived have been estimated and compared with EN14214 biodiesel standards. The new biodiesel M. zapota methyl ester meets the EN14214 biodiesel standards and could be a reliable substitute to diesel in diesel engine applications.