Production and characterisation of biobased transformer oil from jatropha curcas seed

Biobased transformer oil was produced from Jatropha curcas seed oil. The oil was extracted from the seed using soxhlet extractor. The oil obtained from the Jatropha seed was degummed by washing down the fat with warm water and any water present was removed by MgSO4. The physiochemical characteristics of the refined oil were obtained as follows: the saponification value was 155 mg KOH g-1 oil, peroxide value was 7.20 meq g-1 oil, iodine value was 51.27 g 100g-1 oil, free fatty acid was 0.0718 mg KOH g-1 oil, neutralisation number (acid value) was 0.1428 mg KOH g-1 oil, kinematic viscosity was 82 cst, oil share rate was 8.2%, density was 0.725 g ml-1, boiling point was 124°C, specific gravity was 0.8480, flash point was 150°C, cloud point was 14°C, pH was 5.15 and the dielectric strength was 22 kV. The above values obtained for the refined oil were found to be equivalent to that of the ASTM D Standards, hence the refined Jatropha curcas oil can be used in place of the conventional transformer oil since it is easily biodegradable and safe for the environment due to its low acid content. © Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2013.