Columbia welcomes castor biodiesel production

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In the current day world, as fossil fuel demands continue to peak in a regular way, people look for alternate options especially the renewable oils which has a great tendency to produce a positive impact in the transportation sector. Although different vegetable oils are proven to act as sources for bio-fuel synthesis,several find constraints due to their extensive applications as vital ingredients in food. However, castor oil being under the non-edible oil class, turns to be a gifted candidate in this regard for ready exploitation to feed the locomotive engines.

Recently, an Argentinian oil company Oil Fox has come with an overseas initiative to produce biodiesel from castor and algae in Columbia. According to the spokesman from the producer firm, they plan to commission a production facility for 500 million litres on an annual basis with an investment over US$ 150 million. They further indicate that the plant will function in collaboration with two academic institutes and a local firm for technical and raw material procurement support respectively. It is interesting to see that the company concerned has already been in castor biodiesel production business in Argentina since 1999.

Castor plant seems to be an appropriate choice not only due to its non-edible nature but also for its inherent property to grow on marginal lands under rain-fed conditions.Hence it has a capability to create sustainable biodiesel operation right from farmers’ field to industrial and consumer environments. Also when the final product from castor oil is optimized well to suit the demands of engines, castor bean shall be a good oilseed crop for these natural wealth rich South American nations where cultivation of it is already in practice.

For reference: http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?monthyear=&day=11&id=56041&l=e&special=&ndb=1%20target=

A warm carpet from castor oil derived nylon

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In a world with an ever increasing focus on green products for people planet and profits (PPP), castor oil turns out to be an elite candidate to satisfy PPP. Recently Interface company came out with a bio-product, carpet tile and the manufacturer points that its new launch is basically an yarn with nylon blend, based of castor oil. In addition, developers strongly argue that the product is consistent in its performance to address consumer expectations and thus will encourage their “Mission Zero” aim  to replace petrochemical principles by 2020 from their product portfolios. The company’ reports regarding the supply chain also state the beneficial outcomes that castor plant can yield to farmers growing it on marginal lands.

It is evident that bio based carpet tile’  market performance on time would boost the innovative minds to develop it for mutual benefits of growers and firm on an extensive scale. To conclude, castor oil often known as an industrial oil for lubrication and polymers production keeps widening its application spectrum, truly a demanding feature for those who strive for quality, novelty and greening of products.

For reference: http://www.zawya.com/story/Interface_unveils_Fotosfera_its_first_product_made_from_biobased_nylon-ZAWYA20120917073331/

Potency of Castor Biodiesel for Lubricant Production

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Lubricants are well known to act as substances for minimization of friction in locomotive engines and other spare parts. As we know they can be synthesized from multiple synthetic and natural sources and some of which prove to be environmentally recalcitrant and pose adverse effects.Studies indicate that nearly 12 million tonnes of lubricants are eliminated after usage and majority of them are disposed in a biologically unsafe manner. To reduce their prolonged existence, people are in relentless efforts to identify and formulate eco-safe lubricant substances.

The answer to this query has been recently addressed though biodiesel produced from castor oil.It is not surprising to implicate castor oil for lubricant synthesis as some of its prominent derivatives as 12-hydroxy stearic acid are well characterized lubricants. Now, castor biodiesel  what is to be fed as a fuel possesses typical properties to yield biodegradable lubricants with desired functions as oxidation stability, thermo-tolerance and high viscosity index etc. Researchers of this study have witnessed that the fluids generated from castor biodiesel esters are lubricative due to the presence of ricinoleic acid.

The results seem to be exiting to watch in a perspective where castor biodiesel effectively fails to compete with conventional fuels on certain fuel parameters. So, research initiatives on castor biodiesel such as this would add up its industrial scope in different dimensions with ecological significance.

For reference: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ls.1205/abstract

 

Applauds for castor research in India

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India carries an agricultural pride by nature as a leading zone in the world for cultivation and production of castor seed and oil, industrially reputed commodities today. To sustain this position research on the oilseed crop is fundamental and is being performed in a consistent way throughout the country across various institutions.Recently TNAU, a premier agricultural institute in South India has been awarded the “Best Castor Centre Award,’ for 2011, by Indian Council for Agricultural Research, New Delhi along with a shield, certificate, a citation and Rs.5,000, presented by Dr K S Varaprasad, Project Director, Directorate of Oil Seeds Researech, Hyderabad at the All India Annual Research Workers Group Meet on Castor at Yercaud. To signify it was TNAU’ release of a variety of castor called YRCH 1 in 2009 from Tapioca and Castor Research Station (TCRS) whose field performance made it popular among TN farmers for widespread cutivation.

As demand for castor oil mounts up globally, promoting research activities will galvanize its scope of cultivation and boost up rural economy to a greater extent in the country.

For reference: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/best-castor-centre-award-to-tnau-research-station/1003162.html

 

 

Play off between castor oil and bio-components of human intestine

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It is not astonishing to see the action of this oil from castor seed on administration of it as a remedy to gastro-intestinal disorders across humans of all the ages in the world. Even then mystery with castor oil has remained all throughout the ages over the way this edible laxative works in physical system to display conditions of stool emergency. With science as a tool for facts, researchers at a German centre, The Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research finally have unraveled the mode by which castor oil expresses its functionality in the human body. Authours of the study report that it is exciting to watch that cells in intestine harbours a receptive protein called, EP3 that recognizes the ingested castor oil and mediates cells and their constituents to elicit the laxative effect. Following a robust experimental analysis in animal models to attribute the sensory factors of castor oil derived ricinoleic acid, scientific experts and critical analysts believe that there could be a modulation brought about in the human body to selectively harvest the therapeutic activities and avoiding irritating side effects from castor oil.

For reference: http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/5608/scientists-uncover-mechanism-behind-ancient-drug

 

Castor oil to aid healing of wounds and cuts

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It is obvious to us that several plants act as excellent sources of chemicals with medicinal value which dwell either in a definite organ or whole bio-system.Castor seed oils are not an exception to this storage nature of plants where constituents in it tend to display therapeutic activities to cure the physical discomforts directly or indirectly.

With continued scope for natural products in global pharma divisions, a recent press release from firm, Morinda Bioactives, USA which it claims to be specialized in formulation of drugs on phyto-chemicals has reported that its launch of a new stream of drugs called Shield Biomedicals at International Leadership Conference Salt Lake City, Utah, contain castor oil derived chemicals as base ingredients to contribute for moisture retention function. As per the manufacturer’ statement, their ointment formulation with castor oil is a home remedy to wounds and burns etc with pain relieving properties.

Information source such as this keeps boosting the potential of castor oil in high value market sectors which the producer nations should realize well to upgrade their line of products from this vegetable oil, gifted for industries.

For reference: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/10/4480034/morinda-bioactives-releases-new.html

 

Castor cultivation for Cambodian regional progression

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Industrially vital Castor plant continues to expand its geographical horizon in Asiatic agro zones with business proposals to develop from it a stable supply chain for demands and sustainability. It can be exemplified from Cambodia where a 10 year business development plan to establishment a firm called “Adalidda Castor”, the first of its type, will be operating on integrated supply chain aspects of Castor cultivation and oil extraction etc. Project developers have indicated that the cost for establishment of firm would be US$ 16 million and initiatives include castor cultivation on 20,000 hectares of land, oil processing and contact farming with locals. This Castor project is a joint venture between a consultancy in Cambodia and a venture capital company according to sources and execution of it would be made in two phases.

It is exciting to note that “Adalidda Castor” project has provisions for crop management  by software systems and optimistic developers of the study say that benefits could be reaped through direct employment for 719 people, revenues for 20,000 households in contract farming, capacity building for farm workers and their families through education and medical facilities, apart from principal investors and other stakeholders’ advantages in the supply chain.

For reference: http://www.ongreen.com/sites/ongreen.com/files/business_plan-adalidda_castort-january_2012.pdf

 

 

 

Evolution of organic castor oil from India

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Castor oil as we know a reputed raw material for industrial chemicals is often cultivated and processed in fields and oil mills respectively with synthetic inputs to make it available in bulk with desired properties. However, such pretreatments are longer a valid aspect when oil with quality and sustainability is required for certain subset of applications as production of pure natural cosmetics and related skin care products. This conditional demand faced by Wala Heilmittel GmbH, a German firm to market its completely natural skin products based of cold pressed castor oil had made it to formulate an approach of synthetic components free, organic castor oil exchange with India, involving mutual benefits for growers, processors and consumers.  Christine Ellinger, a scientific representative of the firm initiated her actions via contacts with an Indian NGO called Satvik which then functioned with team of eco-minded farmers in cultivation of crops. Her financial assistance to NGO’ advisory council and efforts of Institute of Market Ecology (IMO) certification for product quality successfully boosted up the cultivation of organic castor and the agenda of German firm reached up its peak with co-ordinated assistance from a like minded castor oil entrepreneur, Mr:Nanalal Satra in Gujarat whose dedicated processing facility for organic castor oil production yielded the German raw material of choice ultimately from India.

The face of organic oil cultivation did not wipe off with German initiatives in India but has steadily grown today to a level of 277 tons of castor beans on approximately 1,175 hectares of land with oil yields in excess to supply other prospective companies. The outcomes so far have been fruitful with social and environmental responsibilities and significantly created economic independence for farmers, especially those in Northern arid regions of Kutch who suffered a nightmare in the earthquakes of Gujarat in 2001.

For reference: http://www.wala.de/english/quality/cultivation-projects/organic-castor-oil-from-india/

 

 

Castor polymer to enlight automobile panels of Ford

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Castor oil is well known to act as a versatile feed material for the production of a diverse range of chemicals derivatives and polymers are one among the well known class of products derived from this edible oil. castor oil’ anomaly amidst numerous vegetable oils to yield diverse polymer types as polyurethanes, polyesters and poly-amides is greatly attributed to its constituent fatty acid, ricinoleate. From the days of its discovery, chemical exploitation over this substance in the industrial world is never ending to either produce new or polymers with improved functional properties.

To elucidate the comment, German polymer firm, BASF has made an alliance with Ford to supply with polyurethanes derived from castor oil for its automobile panels. Reports from the German manufacturer claim that their bio-product in addition to sustainability and GHG reductions offers its clients with tensile strength, softness and fascinating gesture in the instrumental panels of the vehicle. Ford’ advanced product development engineer also appreciated castor oil for its role in vehicle craftsmanship, mitigation of petrochemical usage and introduction of product novelty to their North American customers.

For reference: http://www.polyurethanes.basf.com/pu/KUInternet/KU/en_GB/content/intranews/News_2011/First_Castor_Oil_Based_Foam_in_the_2012_Focus

 

 

Castor-An Effective Mitigant of GHG Emissions

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Castor oil, an universally reputed vegetable oil finds inexhaustible applications in numerous industrial sectors with special references to bio-polymer, lubricant, pharmaceutical and surfactant domains. In the list of vegetable oils for biofuels, castor oil equally reserves its position as a promising source but often its demand in non-energy sector and volatile global market availability has shadowed the contribution of castor to sustainable biofuel development. To circumvent the limitations and harness the carbon credits of castor biodiesel and related environmental advantages, German firm Evogene subjected biodiesel from its high yielding lines of castor to GHG life cycle assessment (LCA).

To best realize the complete environmental impacts of castor biodieel as LCA, Symbiotic Engineering conducted the study in two different locations, USA and Brazil for Evogene’ product. Astonishingly, the results indicated that biodiesel production coupled to use from castor reduced GHG emissions by 90 & 75% in USA and Brazil respectively.

Manufacturers of this biofuel were deeply impressed with energy and ecological weightage of castor and Mr. Assaf Oron, Evogene’s EVP Strategy and Business Development announced that “The results of the LCA strengthen our belief in castor bean”.

For reference:http://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/life-cycle-analysis-of-evogene-castor-bean-based-biodiesel-shows-90-emissions-reduction-compared-to-petroleum