Mahua Oil as Renewable Resources for Biodiesel Production: Indian Perspective

Biodiesel, a methyl or ethyl ester of fatty acid is an attractive alternative of fossil fuels and can be obtained from various edible or non - edible oil feed stocks. Mahua oil is an excellent raw material in terms of cost and especially this oil does not have any issue with food security. Biodiesel is produced from Mahua oil through different transesterification processes but mostly two step transesterification method is used widely. The cost and efficiency of biodiesel production mainly depends on presence of free fatty acid (FFA) in the feed stock. This paper reviews, discusses and analyses the production of biodiesel from Mahua oil, its hybrid with other non - edible oil and its effect on the efficiency of four stroke diesel engine compared to other esters on the basis of performance and emissions briefly.