Synthesis of biodiesel from rocket seed oil and its characterization by FT-IR, NMR (/sup 1/H and /sup 13/C) and GC-MS

The limited resources of fossil fuel, increasing prices of crude oils and environmental concerns have motivated the researcher for alternate fuels, such as bio diesel that is obtained from vegetable oils. Therefore, bio diesel was synthesized from Rocket seed oil by base catalyzed transesterification with methanol. The physical parameters like dynamic viscosity (3.88 cp), specific gravity (0.893 g cm/sup 3/), kinematic viscosity (5.85 mm/sup 2/s/sup 1/)), density (0.877 g cm/sup 3/), cloud point (3 deg. C), flash point (110 deg. C) and acid number (0.07 mg KOH g/sup 1/) of the synthesized rocket seed oil bio diesel (RSOB) were determined and were found to be comparable with ASTM recommended values for diesels. Chemical composition of the bio diesels formed was determined by various techniques like Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (/sup 1/H, 13/C) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). The /sup 1/H NMR spectrum of RSOB is given. (Orig./A.B.)