Pyrolysis Oil from the Fruit and Cake of Jatropha curcas Produced Using a Low Temperature Conversion (LTC) Process: Analysis of a Pyrolysis Oil-Diesel Blend

Background: The LTC process is a technique that consists of heating solid residues at a temperature of 380oC - 420oC in an inert atmosphere and their products are evaluated individually: these products include pyrolysis oil, pyrolytic char, gas and water. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of the use of oils obtained by pyrolysis of Jatropha curcas as an additive for diesel in different proportions. Results: A Low Temperature Conversion (LTC) process carried out on samples of Jatropha curcas fruit and generated pyrolysis oil, pyrolyic char, gas and aqueous fractions in relative amounts of 23, 37, 16 and 14% [w/w] respectively for Jatropha curcas fruit and 19, 47, 12 and 22% [w/w] respectively for Jatropha curcas cake. The oil fractions were analyzed by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, GCMS and physicochemical analysis. The pyrolysis oil was added to final concentrations of 2, 5, 10 and 20% [w/w] to commercial diesel fuel. The density, viscosity, sulfur content and flash point of the mixtures were determined. Conclusions: The results indicated that the addition of the pyrolysis oil maintained the mixtures within the standards of the diesel directive, National Petroleum Agency (ANP no 15, of 19. 7. 2006), with the exception of the viscosity of the mixtures containing 20% pyrolysis oil.