Biodiesel production and characterisation of poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) seed oil methyl ester as a source of 2nd generation biodiesel feedstock

One of the challenging tasks for the researchers is to identify alternative renewable energy feedstocks which can be used as a substitute for fossil fuel to meet the increasing demand for energy, reduce the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and eliminate the increasing concerns of environmental impact. The 2nd generation poppy (Papaver somniferum) seed oil (PSO) can be considered as one of the feedstocks which would be low cost and does not compete with food crops for biodiesel production. In this study, biodiesel production was conducted in 2 stage processes which consist of acid and base–catalysed esterification and transesterification to reduce the free fatty acid (FFA) content of poppy seed oil (PSO) and to increase the yield of poppy seed…