Biodiesel from castor oil: a promising fuel for cold weather

Ricinus communis is a species that belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family and it is commonly known as castor oil plant, and Palma Christi. This plant originates in Africa but it is found in both wild and cultivated states in all the tropical and subtropical countries of the world. In wild conditions this plant is well-adapted to arid conditions and is able to stand long periods of drought. Results of transesterification experiments of castor oil with methanol are presented. The castor biodiesel has very interesting properties (very low cloud and pour points) that show that this fuel is very suitable for using in extreme winter temperatures