Utilization of Tasar Pupae (<i>Antheraea mylitta</i>) for Biodiesel Production: An Alternative and Green Approach

The biofuels as a rule are usually centered around the reality that they are obtained from agricultural products. In the event that the effective innovation is developed for the extraction of biofuels from waste byproducts, many industries including mining, aviation and transportation sectors would then furnish the most consequential changes in waste management, waste to value-added products and decreased transportation costs. The present study focuses on the utilization of silkworm pupae waste from Antheraea mylitta as useful energy in the tanks of diesel vehicles. The physiochemical properties such as saponification value, iodine number and viscosity of obtained biodiesel after transesterification were seen to be 186 mg/g, Iodine values were 112 mg/g and 35.8 mm2/s respectively. Formation of FAME’s was confirmed by GC-MS analysis. The pupae biodiesel chemical composition exhibited ten types of FAME’s that were identified by retention time data and verified by the mass fragmentation pattern. The sample consists of predominantly Pentane,2,2,4-trimethyl, cyclobutanol, glycerine, diglycolic acid, silane, diethoxyldimethyl, glycolic acid, succinic acid, 1,4-cyclohexane. The percentage yield of biodiesel obtained was found to be fairly high as 78%. This elevated percentage conversion of pupae oil to biodiesel concludes that silkworm pupae waste has the potency to be used as an alternative feed stalk to create supplement fuels for CI engines. This integration holds the promise of not only addressing environmental concerns but also providing a cost-effective and locally sourced energy solution for mining and other fuel requiring operations.