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Alternative energy: Cosmetic oil
JAN 11 - With oil reserves depleting, scientists are more desperate than ever to find a viable alternative for fossil fuel. They have been trying everything ranging from solar cell to vegetable oil; none of them could become a fine alternative.
Lately they have turned to Jojoba oil. It may be surprising that this non-toxic oil, which is common ingredient in cosmetic products and shampoos, has a prospect of becoming an efficient substitute of diesel. Jojoba is a desert plant that grows up to five meters tall and has a life span of about 150 years. The plant yields nuts all the year round and each nut contains half its volume of oil.
The early test carried out at University of United Arab Emirates and University of Cairo revealed that jojoba oil when used to power diesel engine gave equal if not more power and torque to the engine than the diesel itself. The typical engine speed in which test was carried out was 1000 to 2000 rpm.
Jojoba has something more to offer: the oil is very stable even at high temperatures and it contains less amount of carbon, which means jojoba-fuelled engines emit less amount of pollutants like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Fossil fuels usually contain sulphur, which is responsible for corroding the engine by forming sulphuric acid and for polluting the environment by forming poisonous gases like sulphur dioxide. Jojoba oil is free from sulphur which ensures the longevity of the engine and reduction in air pollution. It was also revealed in the same test that jojoba gas takes slightly longer time to reach maximum pressure during combustion in the cylinder and consequently the jojoba-fuelled engine makes less noise.
If jojoba oil has the entire boon, why hasn’t it replaced diesel till now? The major problem underlying the use of jojoba oil as fuel is the lack of large scale production. The plant has been grown for decades in South America, Mexico and middle-east countries. Recently other countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also started growing this plant in desert areas which otherwise remained barren. Despite that, the current production of jojoba oil is insufficient to meet world’s demand for fuel.
However, the oil could substitute the fossil fuel at regional level where there is sufficient growth of jojoba. The countries like Brazil which lacks natural oil reserves but has a large stretch of barren land can produce its own supply of oil by growing jojoba and become self-sufficient.
At present, Arabian countries boast the biggest oil reserves of the world but looking at the speed in which they are drained out they are sure to run out in few decades. But hold on! There is glimmer of hope: these countries are also the most favorable places to grow jojoba. Who knows? The countries, which boast largest natural oil reserves today, may themselves have to rely on jojoba oil tomorrow! Posted on: 2004-01-12 04:16
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