Current Alternative Energy   Send Orders for Reprints to reprints@benthamscience.net Current Alternative Energy, 2019, 3, 59-64 59 LETTER ARTICLE Determination of Free Fatty Acid Composition in Jatropha Crude Oil and Suitability as Biodiesel Feedstock Ravindra Verma 1,* , Dinesh K. Sharma 2 and Prakash S. Bisen 1 1 School of Studies in Biotechnology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, 91-11474001, Madhya Pradesh, India; 2 Department of Biotechnology, Government Holkar Degree College, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India Abstract: Background: Jatropha curcas is one of the most suitable plants which seeds are non- edible in nature but rich in oil. Around 350 oil bearing crops are found suitable as potential alterna- tive fuels for diesel engine. Non-edible crop Jatropha curcas has been identified by many experts for biodiesel production in many countries like India. Objective: The objective of this study is to find out the composition of Jatropha curcas oil and its re- lation with engine parameters. This research covers selected aspects of physical and chemical rela- tion of fatty acid composition of Jatropha curcas oil and its fuel properties. Methods: A gas-chromatograph with high resolution mass spectrometer was used to determine the free fatty acid composition of the Jatropha curcas oil sample. The column length, diameter and thickness were 30m, 0.25mm and 0.25μm respectively. Helium gas was used as carrier gas, column flow of 1.80 mL/min for the GC. Results: The major fatty acids found in Jatropha curcas crude oil were the oleic (3.81%), linoleic (50%), palmitic fatty (35.66%) acid. Some physical and chemical characteristics have been evaluated and found suitable for the application in engine. Oxidation stability oxidizability and cetane number has been calculated as 4.949, 1.076 and found 55.856. Conclusion: The physical and chemical properties of Jatropha crude oil are similar to the biodiesel except the viscosity; therefore, further processing is required. The fuel properties of Jatropha Curcas oil based biodiesel were found to be within the limits of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications for biodiesel and diesel fuel. A R T I C L E H I S T O R Y Received: May 09, 2019 Revised: June 14, 2019 Accepted: June 25, 2019 DOI: 10.2174/2405463103666190722163037 Keywords: Cetane number, free fatty acid, iodine number, Jatropha curcas crude oil, oxidation stability, triglyceride. 1. INTRODUCTION Vegetable oil can be used as fuel for diesel engines, ei- ther as Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) or as esterified. Rudolf Diesel already recognized that the utilization of vegetable oils in diesel engine is not a new concept, it was firstly rec- ognized by Rudolf Diesel in 1892 by getting patent DRP 67207 for “working methods and design for combustion en- gine” [1]. A small diesel engine working demonstration was given by Otto Company to the French Government at the Paris Exhibition in 1900 on Arachide (peanut/groundnut) oil [2]. Around 350 oil bearing crops are found suitable as po- tential alternative fuels for diesel engine out of which some are edible like soybean, palm, sunflower, safflower, cotton- *Address correspondence to this author at the School of Studies in Biotech- nology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, 91-11474001, Madhya Pradesh, India; Tel: 91-8989021402; Mobile: +91-11-8989021402; E-mail: vermaravindra917@gmail.com seed, rapeseed, and peanut oil [3, 4]. Some plants oil species for biofuel production are listed in Table 1. Table 1. Oil species for biofuel production. Group Sources of Oil Major oils/ Nut oils/ Edible oils Coconut, corn, cottonseed, canola, olive, peanut, saf- flower, sesame, soybean, and sunflower, Almond, cashew, Amaranth, apricot, argan, avocado, baassu, Borneo tallow nut, coriander seed, false flax, grap seed, hemp, kapok seed, lallemantia, macauba fruit (Acro- comia sclerocarpa), meadow foam seed, mustard, okra seed, pine nut, rice bran, tallow Non-edible oils Algae, babassu tree, honge, jatropha, jojoba, karanja, mahua, nagchampa, neem, rubber seed tree Other oils Castor, radish and tung Source- Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India 2405-464X/19 $58.00+.00 © 2019 Bentham Science Publishers