International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) ISSN: 2277-3878, Volume-1 Issue-3, January 2013 143 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering & Sciences Publication Retrieval Number: F0448021613 /2013©BEIESP Abstract: Hevea brasiliensis rubber seeds were collected and were extracted by using n-hexane as the solvent in the Soxhlet Extractor. The extracted semi drying oil was characterized by various physio-chemical and thermal properties. Fatty acid composition of the lipid was investigated using gas chromatography techniques. Vibrational studies of the oil show that the characteristic strong absorption at 1741 and 1644cm -1 for –C=O and –C=C– groups respectively. Both the 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectral studies indicate that the presences of triacylglycerol groups were saturated as well as unsaturated in nature. Photo pyroelectric technique (PPE) was used for thermal characterization of the extracted oil. The effect of the fuels on engine components and exhaust gas emissions such as total hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and smoke and brake specific fuel consumption were also investigated. Antimicrobial activity was compared with the standard control drug of chloramphenicol at a concentration of 10 μg/ml at 30, 37 and 42 o C. Index Terms—Hevea brasiliensis rubber seeds, Photo pyroelectric technique, Spectral Studies, Thermal emissions, Microbial screening. I. INTRODUCTION Fossil fuels have been the major store of energy for direction-finding infrastructural and economic developments both in the developing and the developed countries [1]. Fossil fuels emit greenhouse gases that cause wide harm to the environment and human health. The search for alternative fuels is rising and biodiesel is a gifted option, as it is biodegradable, less pollutant, and derives from natural and renewable feed stock [2]. There are different methods for biodiesel production from vegetable oil or animal fat. The most used one is transesterification, which consists of the reaction between triglycerides and alcohol, generally Manuscript Received January 25, 2013. Prof. Sundaram Arvind Narayan, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Energy, K.N.S.K. College of Engineering, Therekalputhoor, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India. Prof. Sutha Shobana, Department of Chemistry, K.N.S.K. College of Engineering, Therekalputhoor, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India. Prof. Anand Sundaram, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland – 21250, USA. Prof. Jeyaprakash Dharmaraja, Division of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Humanities, Sree Sowdambika College of Engineering, Aruppukottai – 626 134, Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu, India. methanol or ethanol, producing esters and glycerin [3]. It is tremendously essential to have information on physicochemical properties of these samples. The photothermal technique can be used for this motive. And its applications engage different systems and comprise solids, liquids, and gases, such as semiconductors, ceramics, polymers, organic materials, and foodstuffs [4]. The use of biodiesels as alternative fuels has been extensively investigated with the objective of ensuring energy security and reducing the environmental impacts of diesel emissions Rubber Seed Oil (RSO) contains 17 – 20 % saturated fatty acids (Myristic, Palmitic, Stearic, Arachidic, Behenic, etc.,) and 77 – 82 % unsaturated fatty acids (Palmitoleic, Monohydric alcohols, etc.,). Rubber seeds are composed of about 43 % oil. This RSO oil is a semi-dried substance that does not contain any unusual fatty acids, but is a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids C 18:2 and C 18:3 that make up 54 % of its total fatty acid composition [5] as well as in the production of biodiesel and for use in fuel compression ignition engines. Lower concentrations of biodiesel blends improved thermal efficiency. At higher concentrations of biodiesel in the blend, there was a reduction of smoke density in exhaust gas [6]. In this paper, we studied the rubber s e e d oil and their methyl ester derivates derived from Hevea brasiliensis rubber seeds are desirable as an alternative diesel fuel. Also a conventional diesel (CD) using an endurance test was carried out to enable evaluation of the impact of blended fuels on critical components of a direct injection (DI) diesel engine. Performance and emission parameters were also measured, analyzed. In this paper, we studied the physico-chemical properties, including fatty acids, thermal properties solid fat content and microbial susceptibility characters of rubber seed oil (RSO) were also evaluated. Further, to investigate the potential of alternative hosts for oil production, we screened 8 different microorganisms for their tolerance to this bio fuel. II. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD A. Materials and Methods Rubber seeds were obtained from the Rubber Research Isolation, Spectral Characterization, Thermal Efficiency and Microbial Evaluation Studies on Indian Rubber (Hevea Brasiliensis) Seed Oil Sundaram Arvind Narayan, Sutha Shobana, Anand Sundaram, Jeyaprakash Dharmaraja