THE EVALUATION OF THE CHEMO-PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF JATROPHA SEED OIL
Abstract
This project investigates the potential of Jatropha seed oil as a sustainable and biodegradable alternative to conventional petroleum-based lubricants. A comprehensive evaluation of its key chemo-physical properties was conducted and benchmarked against a standard commercial lubricating oil (20W-50). Standard laboratory methods were used to determine the following properties for both Jatropha seed oil (Sample A) and the standard oil (Sample B): viscosity, flash point, fire point, pour point, cloud point, oxidative stability, free fatty acid (FFA) content, and density. The results revealed that Jatropha seed oil possesses excellent thermal stability, with a high flash point (225°C) and fire point (260°C) that are comparable to the standard mineral oil. However, significant challenges were identified that hinder its direct application as a lubricant. The oil exhibited very poor lowtemperature properties, the raw Jatropha seed oil is not a viable direct replacement for commercial lubricants due to its poor cold-flow properties and high corrosivity potential, its favorable viscosity 15.05 cSt,40 °C and high fire resistance make it a promising base stock for the formulation of advanced bio-lubricants..
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