Feasibility Study of Rubber Seeds from North Sumatra, Indonesia as Biodiesel Feedstock; Production and Characterization

Abstract

There are 5.5 million tons of rubber seeds produced annually on the 3.6 million hectares of rubber plantations that are located in Indonesia. Based on current estimates, 2.4 million tons of biodiesel may be produced if the rubber seeds are utilized as the primary raw material. Rubber seeds are a product of rubber plantations that have not been exploited; to obtain them, there is no need for new land or planting new trees. Rubber seeds are also non-edible, so their use does not conflict with foodstuffs. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of rubber seed as a raw material for biodiesel and to produce and characterise biodiesel from rubber seed. The rubber seeds that have been collected from smallholder plantations in the northern Sumatra region of Indonesia are peeled to separate them from the kernels. Rubber seed kernels are boiled for 4 hours to separate the sap. Kernels that have been boiled are drained and then dried in the sun for 2 days in sunny weather. Kernels that had been dried in the sun were pressed using a screw press, and crude rubber seed oil was obtained. This crude oil is produced into biodiesel through degumming, esterification, and trans-esterification stages. Biodiesel production was carried out with variations in the catalyst ratios of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1, variations in the ratio of oil/methanol (w/v) of 1:1.25, 1:1.5, 1:1.75 (g/ml), and 1:2, variations in temperature of 50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C, and 80 °C, and reaction times of 70 minutes, 80 minutes, 90 minutes, and 100 minutes. For each of these variables, the yield of biodiesel produced was calculated. Then the resulting biodiesel is characterised by testing its psychochemical properties against ASTM standards, which include calorific value, oxidation stability, viscosity, density, acid content, cetane number, and flash point. In the experiment on the effect of the amount of catalyst, the largest yield of 85% was obtained when the catalyst ratio (%v/v) was 0.75; in the investigation of the effect of the molar ratio of oil and methanol, the largest yield of 88% was obtained at a ratio of 1.75; the maximum yield of 85% was also obtained at a reaction temperature of 60 °C and 89% at a reaction time of 100 minutes. Almost all of the properties meet ASTM standards, except for the acid value of 0.53 mg KOH/g, which is 0.03 mg KOH/g higher, whereas according to the ASTM D6751-D 664 standard, the maximum acid value is 0.5 mg KOH/g.