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This paper aims to analyze the economic viability of jatropha plantation in North East India.

Economic viability is measured through the net present value and the benefit–cost ratio (BCR) at four different production standards along with four different prices of jatropha seed.

At a very low price and small production, jatropha plantation is economically not feasible. However, when the price of seed increases from INR 5 to 8, BCRs become greater than 1, provided that the discount rate is less than equal to 8 per cent. The minimum threshold of BCR indicates that the threshold of 1.5 BCR at a production level of 1.5 tons/ha can be achieved with a combination of seed price of INR 10 per kg and a discount rate of 1 to 3 per cent. Thus, jatropha cultivation is economically viable but not highly profitable.

Present study analyzes the economic viability of jatropha plantation from purely financial point of view. Social cost and benefit of energy crop plantation is not included in the study. This suggests to adopt social cost–benefit analysis to evaluate the overall feasibility of plantation crops in future studies.

This paper contributes to the academic literature of economic viability of energy plantation crops. Economic viability of jatropha plantation is shown in different cost and revenue conditions with statistical evidences.

Engine component endurance is related to fuel properties. Decreasing the sulfur content of a fuel reduces its lubricity, thus damaging engines and fuel systems. Therefore, promoting the use of a biofuel must involve assessing the functionality and lubricity of the fuel.

The ball-on-ring (BOR) wear tester was applied to determine the optimal additive concentration and the mechanism of reduction of the wear and friction of the diesel engine fuel injection system. The lubricating efficiency of the fuels was estimated by using a photomicroscope to measure the average diameter of the wear scar produced on the test ball. An optical microscope and scanning electronic microscope were used for wear surface examinations.

The wear test revealed that the wear diameter of the steel ball lubricated with either the pure petrodiesel or 20 Wt.per cent Jatropha curcas biodiesel blends was 1.36 or 1.05 mm, respectively. The experimental results indicated that when Jatropha curcas biodiesel was added into petrodiesels to reduce friction, the wear resistance of the fuel blends increased concurrently with increasing Jatropha curcas biodiesel concentration. This was attributed to the presence of stearic acid in Jatropha curcas biodiesel blends. Stearic acid has a strong affinity for metal surfaces; therefore, a chemical coating was formed between the two motion surfaces to protect the two contacted surfaces from wear. Therefore, the proposed Jatropha curcas biodiesel can be used to effectively enhance the lubricity of a petrodiesel under the condition of boundary lubrication.

Using biofuels as the fuels for diesel engines can assist developed and developing countries in reducing the impacts of their fossil fuel consumption on the environment.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the study of supply chain design from the perspective of complex dynamic systems. Unlike extant studies that use formal simulation modelling and associated methodologies rooted in the physical sciences, it adopts a framework rooted in the social sciences, strategic niche management, which provides rich insights into the behavioural aspects of complex innovation dynamics of emerging supply chains.

The use of the framework is illustrated by means of a case study about the development of a new biofuels supply chain in East Africa.

Three key dynamic processes are found to be at the core of new supply chain development: networking, learning and the management of actor expectations. The case analysis suggests the need to actively manage these processes and suggests possible ways of doing so.

Generalisability is limited since the research is based on one case study. Additional case studies using the same framework would help to validate and extend the results obtained.

Implications for strategic managerial decision making include the need to encourage stakeholder networking and shared learning, and managing their expectations.

The paper uses an innovative conceptual framework to examine new supply chain development, which yields new insights into how these processes can be actively managed and supported.

This article aims to collect data on the aluminum alloy 7050-T7451 machinability used in the manufacturing of aeronautical structures, using the combination of the jatropha vegetable-base soluble cutting oil in relation to the canola vegetal and semisynthetic mineral oils and the technique to apply cutting fluid by flood in relation to the Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) in the milling process (HSM – high-speed machining).

It was observed that the jatropha vegetal cutting oil presented the best results in relation to requirements for lubrication, superficial mean roughness (index Ra) and shape errors in relation to the other oils in both the techniques to apply fluid which were tested. Comparing the application techniques, the jatropha vegetal oil offered an increase in the life span of the cutting tool, using the flood technique, exceeding in almost six times the machined length of the cutting tool in relation to the MQL technique in the same process conditions.

The Jatropha vegetable-base cutting oil, besides being produced from a renewable source, has inherent characteristics that can help attain a sustainable manufacturing, mainly with the use of the flood technique to apply cutting fluid in the aluminum alloy 7050-T7451 machining.

The Jatropha (vegetable) oil, in relation to its physicochemical properties, appeared to be the best one fit for being used in the machining of aluminum alloys 7050-T7451 because it did not interfere with any of the elements involved in the formation of intergranular corrosion and/or pitting, which are not allowed in the aeronautical production of parts. Jatropha (vegetable) cutting oil, besides being produced from a clean and renewable source, has the inherent characteristics that can help attain a sustainable manufacturing.

This study aims to characterize the composition of the tribo-layer formed during sliding of steel in the presence of crude jatropha oil (CJO) and epoxidized jatropha oil (EJO) under boundary lubricant application.

CJO was obtained from a local market and used as received. EJO was obtained by epoxidation process with peroxyformic acid catalyzed by acidic ion exchange resin. The tribological test was conducted by the four ball method according to ASTM 4192. Wear scars generated on the lower balls were used to characterize the tribo-layer. Energy-dispersive X-ray and X-ray photo spectroscopy analysis were conducted to characterize the tribo-layer composition.

EJO shows a lower friction coefficient compared to CJO. Moreover, EJO also shows better wear preventive properties compared to CJO. The oxidation of CJO and EJO has lead chemisorption of the oil to steel surface to cause formation of protective layers for the steel surface. The layers were constructed from inorganic oxide in the form of iron oxides and silicon oxide together with organic layers in form of aldehyde, ketone and carboxylic acid. The formation and removal of this layer from rubbing sites are considered to affect wear-preventive and friction behaviour of steel lubricated with CJO and EJO.

This works highlights friction and anti-wear characteristics of CJO and EJO. This work also presents the composition of the tribo-layer that formed because of the sliding of steel lubricated with CJO and EJO. The method and result can be used for further investigation and development of lubricant.

The purpose of this paper is synthesis of polyesteramide resin from jatropha oil and monomer from recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) to get the excellent benefit of individual structure. Along with the synthesis of polyesteramide resin, this research work will also help in recycling of PET waste and help for the conversion of monomer obtained from recycling of PET to value-added application.

Polyesteramide resin was synthesized by conventional method, i.e. by converting jatropha oil to corresponding fatty amide, i.e. hydroxyl ethyl jatropha oil fatty acid amide (HEJA), and treating it with dicarboxylic acid, i.e. sebacic acid but bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terepthalamide (BHETA) is added, i.e. monomer of PET, and then resin synthesis is carried out. Synthesized resin is cured with isocyanate and used for coating application. Coating is characterized for physical, mechanical, thermal and anticorrosive properties.

Coating shows excellent balance of flexibility and hardness due to structural difference in BHETA and HEJA. Aromatic structure of BHETA was helpful for increasing hardness and for retardation of degradation, and at the same time, aliphatic structure of HEJA was helpful for increasing flexibility of the coating. Amide linkage present in both help for better adhesion of coating to metal surface, which also helps to improve the mechanical properties and anticorrosive properties.

This method is the practical solution for synthesis of polyesteramide resin and then coating from PET waste and jatropha oil. Hence the method developed is simple and it helps for recycling of PET waste and conversion of recycled product to value-added material.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which use jatropha oil (fatty amide of jatropha oil) and PET waste (monomer of PET waste) simultaneously for the synthesis of polyesteramide resin and then coating.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence of blends of Jatropha methyl ester (JME) and its nano Al₂O₃ emulsion on variable compression ratio diesel engine. The oxygen in alumina contributed for the smooth burning and resulted in improved performance and emissions.

The biodiesel (methyl ester) is prepared from the raw Jatropha oil. The B10, B20 and B30 blends of and their nanoemulsions are prepared with the 25, 50, 75 and 100 ppm of nano Al₂O₃. The prepared JME blends and its nanoemulsions are tested in a variable compression ratio (VCR) diesel engine to evaluate the engine performance and emission characteristics.

The nanoemulsion B20 + 50 ppm has given maximum brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and with the increased proportion of nanoparticle, the BTE was reduced. Also, the specific fuel consumption is lowest (0.2826 kg/kWh) for B20 + 50 ppm at the compression ratio 16.5 and full load which is 4.10% lower than the diesel and 5.8% lower than the B20 blend. As the load increases, NOx emission increases owing to higher peak temperatures in the combustion chamber. The JME-nano Al₂O₃ emulsion reduces the HC and CO emission compared with all other fuels.

Novel nano emulsions are prepared, characterized and tested on VCR engine.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the quantum of research papers and the citations these papers received for the plant Jatropha curcas Linn.

Articles published on Jatropha curcas Linn during 1987–2016 were downloaded from Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE) by using the keyword Jatropha* on October 18, 2017. The search resulted in 4,276 records in all. The authors analyzed only 4,111 documents which were published as review articles, research articles and proceeding papers using the complete count methodology. The data were analyzed to examine the pattern of growth of output, most prolific countries, institutions and authors. It also identified highly cited authors and journals used for communicating research results.

The study indicates that India, China and Brazil are the main contributors to the field and the pattern of growth indicates a steep rise in publication output especially in the last block of 2015–2016. Most of the prolific institutions and authors were also located in these countries. However, the impact of output was different from the pattern of output. The publication output is scattered in more than 1,000 journals published from different parts of the globe.

The plant of Jatropha curcas Linn is a highly useful plant as a source of biofuel energy. This is the second study in English language on this plant and has used a large set of publication data as compared to the first. The findings of the study may be useful for policy makers as well as for researchers working in the field of biofuel energy.

The purpose of this paper is to argue that there is a clear distinction between using public funds and non‐public funds for development cooperation.

The paper describes initiatives in development cooperation that the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) has taken in collaboration with partners in the private sector.

With their partners in the private sector and local partners in developing countries, the KIT is producing at viable costs for willing markets.

The paper provides a privileged, insider's view into working entrepreneurially in developing countries.

This paper aims to demonstrate the synthesis of polyesterification reaction of non-edible jatropha seed oil (JO) and acrylic acid, which leads to the production of acrylated epoxidised-based resin. To understand the physico-chemical characteristics when synthesis the JO-based epoxy acrylate, the effect of temperature on the reaction, concentration of acrylic acid and role of catalyst on reaction time and acid value were studied.

First, the double bond in JO was functionalised by epoxidation using the solvent-free performic method. The subsequent process was acrylation with acrylic acid using the base catalyst triethylamine and 4-methoxyphenol as an inhibitor respectively. The physico-chemical characteristics during the synthesis of the epoxy acrylate such as acid value was monitored and analysed. The formation of the epoxy and acrylate group was confirmed by a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis.

The optimum reaction condition was achieved at a ratio of epoxidised JO to acrylic acid of 1:1.5 and the reaction temperature of 110°C. This was indicated by the acid value reduction from 86 to 15 mg KOH/g sample at 6 hours.

The JO-based epoxy acrylate synthesised has a potential to be used in formulations the prepolymer resin for UV curable coating applications. The JO which is from natural resources and is sustainable raw materials that possible reduce the dependency on petroleum-based coating.

The epoxidised jatropha seed oil epoxy acrylate was synthesised, as a new type of oligomer resin that contains a reactive acrylate group, which can be alternative to petroleum-based coating and can used further in the formulation of the radiation curable coating.