An Investigatory Project of Avocado (Persea gratissima) Seed Oil Extract as a Substitute for Biodiesel Fuel for Electricity Generation

Vol.4, No.1

Abstract

Fruits and vegetables are the most utilized commodities among all horticultural crops. They
are consumed raw and minimally processed due to their health-promoting compounds.
However, not all parts of it are consumed by consumers, and this can lead to huge amounts of
food waste that are produced globally. As one of the main problems in the Philippines, air
pollution caused by burning food waste can have an unhealthy impact, and the smoke can be
inhaled by humans and animals. Residue from burning contaminates the soil and groundwater
and can enter the human and animal food chains through crops and livestock. Hence,
efficiently utilizing food wastes can be converted into fuels such as biodiesel. To address the
aforementioned issue, the wasted parts of fruits and veggies, such as the seed part, can be
turned into biomass oil, which is an essential ingredient in producing biodiesel.

The results in the study in terms of assessment of the level of acceptability of avocado seed oil
extract as a substitute for biodiesel fuel for electricity generation in terms of the
aforementioned variables are acceptable. It says that there is no significant difference
between the assessments of the two groups of respondents in terms of the stated variables.
The chemical engineers got a mean of 2.90, while electrical engineers got 3.05. The variance
for chemical engineers was 0.055, while that for electrical engineers was 0.016. The T-critical
value is 2.306 with a degree of freedom of 8. The T-computed value is 1.257. Therefore, it
accepts Ho.

For further enhancement of the project, the following are the recommendations proposed by
the respondents: Use avocado peel, consider another way to extract oil, and indicate the
target power output.