Derek John V. Bagonoc Karl Maverick C. Ragas Roselen Ann S. Vieja (March 2011)
A biodiesel is a type of fuel which can be used to power engines and made up of vegetable oil or animal fat mixed in a varying concentration to a petroleum product and the concentration of the animal fat or vegetable oil. Ceiba pentandra seeds contain about 25% of oil which can substitute American cottonseed oil, a known source of biodiesel. The oil from Kapok seeds were extracted in two ways using the soxhlet apparatus and by soaking the samples in hexane for at least 24 hours. The oil from the seeds was separated from hexane by distillation. The biodiesel was produced by mixing the oil with methoxide and was stirred for 50 minutes at a constant speed of 80 rpm and was settled for 24 hours. The biodiesel was washed and was settled for another 24 hours. The biodiesel produced was tested in terms of pH, cloud point and boiling point. The mean pH of the biodiesel was 6.5, mean cloud point of the biodiesel was 17.03°C, and the mean boiling point of the biodiesel was 96.83 “C. With these results, it is concluded that biodiesel from Ceiba pentundra seed oil has a potential to substitute other existing biodiesel.