Tangka Julius Kewir

Title : Biodiesel feed stock potential and biochemical properties of defatted seeds of some tropical wild oleaginous plants

Abstract:

A sustainable biodiesel program must take into consideration food security issues. A study was carried out to estimate the biodiesel feedstock potential of four tropical oleaginous seeds. The   bio availability of nutrients and toxicity of their defatted seeds were also investigated. The seeds selected were Ricinodendron heudelotii (njangsa), Cucurbita maxima (pumpkin), Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) and  Raphia hookeri (raphia). Oil was extracted from the seeds using a manual hydraulic press at 200 bars and filtered using a  filter paper of 400microns.  About 100g of each oil  sample was subjected to  transesterification reaction with methanol (99.98% pure) in a proportion of 6:1 in the presence of sodium hydroxide as a catalyst (1g) for 1 hour, mixing at a rate of 500rpm, and at temperature between 60 and 65 °C. Nutrient availability and toxicity of the defatted cakes were investigated using weanling Wistar albino laboratory rats aged 21 – 23 days old. All four oil samples had high conversion rates to biodiesel ranging from 79 % to 96.5 %. Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) of both the straight vegetable oils and produced biodiesel confirmed the conversion of triglycerides into methyl esters. The biodiesel quality parameters of the four methyl esters were: density (790.85 to 823.11 kg/m³), kinematic viscosity (0.88 to 2.03 Pa.S), saponification value (182.4 to 210.4 mgKOH/g), sulphur content (1054.0 to 1840.1 ppm) calorific value (40.5 to 41.4 MJ/Kg), cetane number (65.5 to 68) and flash point (188.5 to 192.7 ^oC). In vivo studies showed a general decrease in growth performance and haematological indices of the test groups (D1, D2, and D3) when compared to the standard (D4). No mortality was registered amongst the wistar rats fed with the test diets. The biodiesel results showed that all four oils have the potential to be used as alternative cheap feedstock for biodiesel production. The results from the defatted seeds showed no toxicity in the defatted cakes meaning that they can be used for human and animal nutrition.

Biography:

Prof. Julius Kewir Tangka was appointed as the new Director of Infrastructure, Planning, and Development (DIPD) at the University of Dschang, as per Presidential Decree N° 2021/497 on August 31, 2021. An Associate Professor in Mechanical [Agricultural] Engineering, Prof. Tangka previously held the same position from 2008 to 2017. He replaces Prof. Ali Ahmed and has a wealth of experience, having served as DIPD at the University of Bamenda from 2017 to 2020. Prof. Tangka's extensive training includes stints at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Israel, 2iE in Burkina Faso, and Gansu Natural Energy Research Institute in China. He holds certificates in renewable energy, biofuel implementation, and solar energy application. Before his current role, Prof. Tangka served as the Director for Development of Infrastructure, Planning, and Development at the University of Bamenda and previously held the position at the University of Dschang. He has also been a visiting lecturer and held consultancy positions with organizations such as SHUMAS Cameroon and KUDOC. With a strong educational background, he has supervised numerous master's dissertations and Ph.D. theses, earning national and international awards. Prof. Tangka, a member of various professional societies, has authored around thirty publications, including theses and conference papers. Born on February 4, 1965, in Kumbo, North-West Region, Prof. Tangka is married with five children. His appointment is expected to align with the collective dynamic spirit promoted by the University's head, Prof. Roger Tsafack Nanfosso, contributing to the institution's progress in infrastructure and development.