Sustainable biodiesel production from novel Mesua assamica (King & Prain) non-edible seed oil: process optimisation and characterisation

This study explores the potential of non-edible Mesua assamica (King & Prain) seed oil as a sustainable feedstock for biodiesel production, emphasising process optimisation and fuel characterisation. Biodiesel is biodegradable, emits fewer greenhouse gases than fossil diesel, offers high combustion efficiency, and can be used neat or blended with minimal engine modifications. Seed oil was extracted via Soxhlet extraction, yielding 29.2 ± 0.2% oil using isopropanol as the solvent. Physicochemical properties of the oil were analysed, and transesterification was performed using K2CO3, KOH, and H2SO4 catalysts. The carbonate-catalysed process achieved the highest biodiesel yield (97.5%). Activation energies were determined using the Arrhenius equation. GC-MS analysis identified 12 fatty acid methyl esters in the produced biodiesel. Fuel properties were evaluated according to ASTM standards and compared with other biodiesels. Owing to the abundance and non-edible nature of Mesua assamica seeds, the results demonstrate its promise as a viable biodiesel feedstock. Future work should address catalyst reusability, techno-economic assessment, engine performance and emission analysis, and large-scale process integration to support commercial application.