Team Size: 1 member

Subject Area: Chemistry

Project Type: Experimental

Language: English

Software Tools: PersonalWebKit, Microsoft Office Word 2007, Paint

Hardware Tools: Digital Camera, Computer

Source of Idea: As Jatropha oil is being developed and researched as a biofuel, it is important that there is a sustainable method of extracting the oil. My project, NaturOil: Jatropha Oil Extraction, focuses on comparing the quality and quantity of oils extracted with hexane versus other solvents, to see if any non-hydrocarbon solvents yield comparable results.

Special Skills: Photography, General Computer Skills

Past Projects: www.virtualsciencefair.org/2008/ward8s2

 Abstract: Jatropha oil is used to create biofuels, which could possibly be developed and refined for commercial use. The most efficient way to obtain oil from the jatropha seed powder for making the biofuel is by solvent extraction. Hexane, a hydrocarbon, is the most common solvent, so the biofuel production is not totally sustainable. This experiment tested the results of alternative solvents to hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol, and compared the quality and quantity of the oil produced. Overall, ethyl acetate proved comparable to hexane in both the quantity of oil from the cake sample and qualitatively in an optical density (OD) test. Ethanol was an unsuitable alternative, extracting other substances in addition to the oil, and was denser than both the hexane and ethyl acetate samples in the OD test, proving its lower quality.

*Unless otherwise stated, all images contained within this website were created by me, Alyssa Novoselac.