ABSTRACT
Biodiesel is one of the best alternatives to conventional fossil fuels. Biodiesel is renewable, energy efficient, non-toxic, biodegradable, and safe for use in sensitive environments. Malaysia is now moving toward large-scale production of biodiesel, especially from palm oil-based oil such as waste cooking oil (WCO); palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD); and fat, oil, and grease (FOG) through the implementation of the National Biofuel Policy. The various feedstock sources available in Malaysia exhibit different physical and chemical properties, which are mainly attributed to their fatty acid composition. Biodiesel is produced by esterification and/or transesterification reaction using acid and basic catalysts, respectively. Biodiesel produced from waste oil is comparable to ASTM and EN standards and can also be used in most diesel engines with no or only minor modifications. A reduction in the brake power (BP), brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE) values, in general, was observed when the engine characteristics were evaluated on the local second-generation biodiesel blends. Furthermore, the usage of biodiesel could reduce greenhouse gas emissions as it emits lesser hydrocarbons (HCs), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and particulate matter (PM) compared to standard diesel.
