Determination of oil and biodiesel content, physicochemical properties of the oil extracted from avocado seed (Persea Americana) grown in Wonago and Dilla (Gedeo zone), Southern Ethiopia

Tsegay Hiwot

Abstract

The avocado seeds were collected from Dilla and Wonago in Gedeo zone, southern part of Ethiopia for oil extraction and biodiesel production. The collected seeds were oven dried and crushed in to powder by mortar and pestle. A soxhlet extraction was used for extraction of the oil. The solvent used for oil extraction was n-hexane. The extracted oil was separated from the solvents by vacuum rata evaporator. The oil content, biodiesel content and the physicochemical parameters of the oil as well as the biodiesel were determined. The oil content and biodiesel content was 27.6% and 95.2% for avocado seed grown in Wonago and 27.2% and 94.86% for avocado seed grown in Dilla. The physicochemical parameters of the oil and biodiesel were determined and the result shows that the acid value of (4, 4.3, 0.89,0.92), saponification value (223, 219 ), kinematic viscosity (36,7,5.02,37.44,5.15), density (933,882,936,884g/ml), higher heating (38,40.5,37,40), ester content (95.2,94.86), respectively. Based on the GC-MS analysis of the biodiesel, four FAME compounds were identified. These are methyl palmitate, methyl linoleate, methyl oleate and methyl stearate. From the physicochemical properties of the biodiesel determined avocado seed oil methyl ester could be used as an alternative energy resource in diesel engine.