THE EFFECT OF ADDITION OF FLY ASH ON PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF TRANSETERERIFIED CALABASH OIL AS SOURCE OF BIODIESEL

Abstract

The change in climatic patterns, depletion of fossils fuels and environmental issues have led to the search of alternative energy sources. One of these renewable sources of energy is biodiesel. This work investigates the effects of the addition of fly ash on the physical properties of transesterified calabash oil. The physical and chemical properties of fly ash were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Xray fluoroscopy (XRF) characterizations. The crude calabash oil was purified, transeterified and fly ash were dispersed  in  the trans-esterified  oil  with  concentration  ranging  from  0.1%  to  0.4%  in the interval of 0.1% Fourier Transform Infrared spectra (FTIR) was used to examine the structures of the samples were ester presence. SEM characterizations indicate the presence of dispersed particles with irregular shape on the nanoparticles. The pour point, fire point and the flash point of the samples were studied. It was  found out among other  things  that  small  amount  of  fly ash (0.3%)  in  the  oil  could  improve  the physical  properties  of  the  fluid.  The Nano fluid with 0.3% concentration  of  fly ash  appears  to have optimum physical property.