http://www.biodieseltechnologiesindia.com/ricebranoil.html
Rice bran oil is a non-conventional, inexpensive and low-grade vegetable oil. Crude rice bran oil is also source of high value added by-products. Thus, if the by-products are derived from the crude rice bran oil and the resultant oil is used as a feedstock for biodiesel, the resulting biodiesel could be quite economical and affordable.
Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters from Rice Bran Oil (PDF) - Fatty acids esters are known to be good alternative fuels (biodiesel). Due to the economic reasons, the use of cheap materials as substrats for biodiesel is being preferred. In this case, rice bran oil, which can not to be evaluated as an edible oil, is an interesting substrat. Esterification of high-acidity rice bran oil with ethanol and sulfuric acid catalyst was investigated. The effects of free fatty acid (FFA) contents of rice bran oil and ethanol concentration on in-situ esterification were investigated and compositions of produced ethyl esters due to the conditions were determined.
Acid Catalyzed Trans-esterification of Rice Bran Oil for Bio-diesel Production (PDF) - The high value of soybean oil or canola oil as a food product makes production of a cost-effective fuel very challenging. Use of edible oils as biodiesel feedstock cost about 60-70% of raw material cost. Nonedible, inexpensive, low-grade oils with value added byproducts is utmost important to make the biodiesel production economical. Rice bran oil ranks first among the non-conventional, inexpensive, low-grade vegetable oils. Furthermore, crude rice bran oil is a rich source of high value-added byproduct. Therefore, use of rice bran oil as raw material for the production of biodiesel not only makes the process economical but also generates value added bio-active compounds. Isolation and purification of these byproducts make the process attractive and remunerative. In the present investigation a systematic studies of transesterification of high free fatty acid rice bran oil was carried out to establish optimal reaction condition. It was found that acid-catalyzed methanolysis of fatty acids are faster than pure triglycerides or pure triglycerides plus 5% water. More than 99% of FA were converted to their corresponding FAME with 20 min of reaction times at temperature of boiling point of methanol otherwise almost for 6 hours reaction none of TG were converted. Effect of chain length and unsaturation of fatty acid on rate of esterification of fatty acid with methanol are equally reactive irrespective of difference in their chemical structures. Fatty acids from different sources shows similar conversions and change in the fatty acids composition has no effect on rate of methanolysis. KEYWORDS: Acid catalyzed, bioactive compounds, biodiesel, crude rice bran oil, rice bran, transesterification.
Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the germ and inner husk of rice. It is notable for its very high smoke point of 490° F (254° C) and its mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying. It is popular as cooking oil in several Asian countries, including Japan and China.
Rice bran oil contains a range of fats, with 47% of its fats monounsaturated, 33% polyunsaturated, and 20% saturated. The fatty acid composition of rice bran oil is:
Fatty Acid Percentage
Palmitic 15.0%
Stearic 1.9%
Oleic 42.5%
Linoleic 39.1%
Linolenic 1.1%
Arachidic 0.5%
Behenic 0.2%
The oil may also offer some health benefits, as it contains oryzanol, an antioxidant that may help prevent heart attacks; phytosterols, compounds believed to help lower cholesterol absorption; and relatively high amounts of vitamin E.
