The Effectiveness of Banana (Musa balbasiana) peelings and Mango (Mangifera indica) peelings as a Bioethanol fuel Introduction Background of the Study A biofuel is a fuel that contains energy from geologically recent carbon fixation. These fuels are produced from living organisms. These fuels are made by a biomass conversion (biomass refers to recently living organisms, most often referring to plants or plant-derived materials). This biomass can be converted to convenient energy containing substances in three different ways: thermal conversion, chemical conversion, and biochemical conversion. Biofuels have been around as long as cars have. Biofuel is treated as a great solution to global warming. Cars are a major source of carbon dioxide, thus being a main contributor to global warming. Bioethanol is
an alcohol made
by fermentation,
mostly
from carbohydrates produced
in sugar or starch crops such as corn, sugarcane, or sweet sorghum. Cellulosic biomass, derived from non-food sources, such as trees and grasses, is also being developed as a feedstock for ethanol production. Ethanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a gasoline additive to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Current plant design does not provide for converting the lignin portion of plant raw materials to fuel components by fermentation. Main feed stocks for bioethanol production are sugarcane (in Brazil) and corn grains (in USA), while many other agricultural raw materials are also used worldwide. Among the three major types of raw materials, the production of ethanol from sugary and starchy materials are easier as compared to lingo cellulosic materials since it requires additional technical challenges such as pretreatment . Furthermore, many agricultural raw materials rich in fermentable carbohydrates were tested worldwide for bioconversion from sugar to ethanol, but the cost of carbohydrate raw materials has become a limiting factor for large scale production by the Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the chemical composition of fruit wastes (pulp and peels) of Banana and Mango in order to explore their potential application in bioethanol production. The proximate composition of banana fruit pulp was 76.63% moisture,
5.65% protein, 1.37% lipid, 19.75% ash and 0.632% starch. Similarly for mango, the proximate composition of fruit pulp was 81.26% moisture, 7.96% protein, 1.48% lipid, 13.08% ash and 0.507% starch. The total dietary fibre content ranged from 3.54% to 73.04% in the fruit samples and found at higher level in mango peels. A maximum polyphenol content of 54.45% was observed in mango fruit peels and a minimum of 10.97% was recorded in banana fruit pulp. The dilute acid (H2SO4) pretreatment (DAP) followed by enzymatic hydrolysis showed maximum reducing sugar yield of 64.27% in the mixed fruit pulps, followed by the banana fruit pulp (57.58%). The banana fruit peels also yielded a maximum reducing sugar content of 36.67% whereas the lowest of 31.29% was observed in mango fruit peels. (Arumugam and Manikandan, 2011) Fermentation is a metabolic process that converts sugar to acids, gases and/or alcohol. It occurs in yeast and bacteria, but also in oxygen-starved muscle cells, as in the case of lactic acid fermentation. It takes place in the absence of oxygen (when the electron transport chain is unusable) and becomes the cell’s primary means of ATP (energy) production. The researchers chose to study this because the world is facing global warming and it should be prevented or be cured. This study would give insights, since it would discuss about a harmless process which would produce a safe, cheap and effective fuel that can lessen pollution.
Hypothesis This study focuses on the effectiveness of Banana- Mango Peelings bioethanol in terms of firing duration. The null hypothesis (Ho) states that Banana- Mango Peelings bioethanol has no significant difference to diesel gasoline in terms of firing duration. The alternative hypothesis (Ha) states that Banana- Mango Peelings bioethanol has significant difference to diesel gasoline in terms of firing duration.
Significance of the Study Bio ethanol has been formerly introduced as an eco-friendly type of fuel. However throughout the years, it has slowly been forgotten. Now at our generation, we are at need of cleaner and more efficient fuel that would serve our daily need. Banana- Mango Peelings bioethanol would possibly another one of the cleaner and more efficient fuel. It is made of natural materials that are abundant in our country. Since it undergoes the natural process of fermentation in order to produce fuel, there would be no exact need to use synthetic methods that would possibly be harmful to the environment.
Significance of the Study Bio ethanol has been formerly introduced as an eco-friendly type of fuel. However throughout the years, it has slowly been forgotten. Now at our generation, we are at need of cleaner and more efficient fuel that would serve our daily need. Banana- Mango Peelings bioethanol would possibly another one of the cleaner and more efficient fuel. It is made of natural materials that are abundant in our country. Since it undergoes the natural process of fermentation in order to produce fuel, there would be no exact need to use synthetic methods that would possibly be harmful to the environment.
Scope and Limitation The researchers would know the difference between Banana- Mango Peelings bioethanol and diesel gasoline in terms of fire duration and percentage ethanol only. The concentration of Banana- Mango Peelings bioethanol would be tested at the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.
Conceptual Framework The Banana- Mango Peelings bioethanol would be tested by measuring its combustion time and percent ethanol.
Banana-Mango Peelings Bioethanol
Fire Duration
Percent Ethanol
Definition of Terms
Bio ethanol -
Mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process, although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam.
Fermentation -
A metabolic process in which an organism converts a carbohydrate, such as starch or a sugar, into an alcohol or an acid. For example, yeast performs fermentation to obtain energy by converting sugar into alcohol.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae -
Commonly known as "baker’s yeast" or "brewer’s yeast". The yeast ferments sugars present in the flour or added to the dough, giving off carbon dioxide (CO2) and alcohol (ethanol).