Now, biodiesel from Mexican Poppy

The Hindu
HYDERABAD, May 17, 2012
City college professors develop a process through which biodiesel can be produced using its seed


A team of chemistry professors from the Government City College, in collaboration with another team from Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University (SRTMU)'s School of Chemical Sciences, have developed a process through which biodiesel can be produced using seeds of the weed Argemone Mexicana known as Mexican Poppy.

Called ‘Brahmadandi' in Telugu, the weed grows profusely in rural areas, the seeds of which contain 40 per cent oil, informed Y.Rajeshwar Rao, the Principal Investigator of the UGC sponsored research project, at a press conference here on Wednesday.

The process of producing bio-fuel involves extraction of oil from the seeds, and transesterification of the oil using crystalline ash-coloured manganese carbonate as catalyst. With the flash point at 130 degrees Celsius, the oil can be transported, and used variedly in transport, agricultural pump-sets and power generation too, with or without blend, Dr. Rao said. A paper about the process has been published in Polish Journal of Chemical Technology. When tested on Mahindra Jeep in a blend of 25:75 with diesel, the fuel gave a mileage of 12 km per litre, he said. The present cost of the fuel is calculated at Rs.35 per litre.

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