Mexican researchers convert wild castor seeds into biodiesel

In Mexico, the seeds of the wild castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, can be converted into biodiesel according to a new study in the International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology. The Mexican research team shows how the requisite transesterification reaction of oil from the seeds using methanol in the presence of sodium hydroxide as a catalyst can produce a fuel product that meets the standards set out by the American Society for Testing and Materials and the European Organization Standardization. A ratio of oil to methanol of 1 to 9 is the most efficient.