Optimum utilization of rubber seed oil as a sustainable substitute for conventional engines via catalytic cracking reactions and oxygenated nano additives

Rubber seed oil has already demonstrated its potential as a viable substitute for biodiesel production. However, optimizing the conversion of crude rubber oil to biodiesel can be achieved through effective catalysts. This study utilized refined rubber seed oil to produce biodiesel. The biodiesel was tested for key properties such as combustion, performance, and emissions across various engine operating conditions. Here, four distinct biodiesels were tested in the diesel engine under the presence of the oxygenated additives . The TiO 2 has been dispersed with the rubber seed biodiesel under two different concentrations of 50 ppm. Incorporating these additives led to a 10 % increase in brake thermal efficiency (BTE) compared to diesel. However, as the biodiesel concentration increases, there is a drastic drop in the thermal efficiency. Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) rates were also elevated due to the higher viscosity of the rubber seed biodiesel blends. As the concentration of biodiesel increased, the consumption rates rose further because of the lower viscosity values. The maximum BTE was observed at 75 % engine load for all blends. There was an approximate increase of 10 % in BTE and substantial reductions in emissions of carbon-based pollutants compared to conventional diesel. BSFC increased with higher biodiesel content due to increased viscosity. Exhaust gas temperatures were higher for biodiesel blends compared to neat diesel. The B10 N blend reported the highest cylinder pressure of 80 bar among all tested blends. When comparing the emissions, an appreciable change in the overall emission values has been noted irrespective of the type of pollutants. Concerning the emissions, all the biodiesel blends reported a massive reduction in CO, CO 2 and HC. However, the formation of the NOx was high due to the excess heat generated on the cylinders. • RSO biodiesel blends with Cu/ZSM-5 catalyst has been examined. • The blend with 10 % biodiesel and 50 ppm TiO 2 showed the highest BTE. • EGT were higher for biodiesel blends against diesel. • Drastic reduction in the emission of CO and HC has been observed at different engine speed.