Bio Fuels
Biofuels are a wide range of fuels which are in some way derived from biomass. The
term covers solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases. Biofuels are gaining
increased public and scientific attention, driven by factors such as oil price spikes,
the need for increased energy security, and concern over greenhouse gas emissions
from fossil fuels.
Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermenting the sugar components of plant materials
and it is made mostly from sugar and starch crops. With advanced technology being
developed, cellulosic biomass, such as trees and grasses, are also used as feedstocks
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. Bioethanol is widely used in the USA and in Brazil.
Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled greases. Biodiesel
can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a
diesel additive to reduce levels of particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons
from diesel-powered vehicles. Biodiesel is produced from oils or fats using transesterification
and is the most common biofuel in Europe.
Biofuels provided 1.8% of the world's transport fuel in 2008. Investment into biofuels
production capacity exceeded $4 billion worldwide in 2007 and is growing.
Crambe
Crambe (Crambe abyssinicia Hochst.) is also referred to as Abyssinan mustard, Abyssinian
kale, colewart, or katran. It is a member of the mustard (Cruciferae) family, which
includes crops such as rapeseed (canola and industrial oilseed rape) and tame mustard.
Crambe is native to the Mediterranean region. It was first introduced into the United
States during the 1940s and has been intermittently grown at North Dakota research
centers since 1958. Commercial production of crambe in North Dakota began in 1990.
Crambe seed yields an industrial oil which contains a high level of erucic acid.
Renewed interest in specialty crops has stimulated research and commercial production
of crambe in North Dakota. Commercial production of crambe in North Dakota was contracted
on 2,400 acres in 1990, 4,500 acres in 1991, 21,000 acres in 1992, and 56,500 acres
in 1993. Inputs and management practices similar to small grains and its unique
use as a nonfood crop makes crambe a profitable alternative enterprise for North
Dakota farmers.
Crambe may be grown by farmers who participate in USDA farm programs. For example,
in 1993 crambe could be grown on flex acres, idled acres under the 0/92 program
for wheat and feed grain, and on non-program crop acres. Contact the local ASCS-USDA
office for information on the current farm program policies regarding crambe.
Conditioning and Storage
Crambe seed is small, round, and very light weight (25 pounds per bushel). Because
crambe has a low test weight and is a relatively bulky crop, transportation costs
are greater than for small grain and corn, but similar to sunflower. Equipment for
transportation and facilities for storage must be tight to avoid loss of the seed.
Before drying and storage, the seed should be passed through a roller screen or
scalper to remove excess foreign material.
Crambe seed should be stored and marketed at a moisture content of 10 percent or
less. Calibrations are being developed to determine crambe seed moisture with electronic
moisture testers. A tentative conversion chart was developed in 1993 for the Motomco
moisture meter. When moisture testing crambe and using oil sunflower standard charts,
the moisture tester reading will be about 1 to 2 percentage points low depending
on the brand and moisture range.
If seed is harvested at high moisture, natural air or artificial drying can be used.
Do not dry seed with unheated air if seed moisture content exceeds 20 percent. To
maintain seed quality, a maximum drying temperature of 110
degrees F is recommended. Bin-drying with unheated air requires a
Crambe Abyssinica
minimum airflow
of 1 cfm per bushel. During storage, the seed should be checked at regular intervals
for heating or other problems. To prevent heating, aerate the seed with a minimum
airflow of 0.1 cfm per bushel. Aeration should be continued until seed moisture
and temperature equilibrium has been maintained throughout the bin.
Utilization
Primary products from crambe seed, include oil (28 to 33 percent), meal (64 to 69
percent) and hulls (3 percent).
The oil is a valuable raw material that can be used for numerous industrial products.
Oil from crambe seed ranges from 50 to 60 percent erucic acid by weight. Erucic
acid is used for slip agents, plasticizers, surfactants, antistats, flotation agents
and corrosion inhibitors.
Other derivatives from crambe oil can be used for lubricants, rubber additives,
new types of nylon, base for paints and coatings, high temperature hydraulic fluids,
dielectric fluid, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, waxes and other products.
Also, a high erucic-acid oil derivative called `caprenin' may be used as a low-fat
cocoa butter substitute in candy and other foods.
Crambe meal may be used primarily as livestock protein but also can be used for
protein isolates and fertilizer. The protein content of defatted, dehulled crambe
meal may be as high as 45 percent, but if processed with the hull the protein content
drops to about 30 to 32 percent. Seed is normally dehulled (during processing) to
produce a higher protein, lower fiber meal. Crambe meal contains glucosinolates,
which are sulfur-containing substances. Single stomached animals such as swine and
poultry can develop toxicity problems from ingesting glucosinolates, while ruminant
animals such as cattle and sheep exhibit greater tolerance. The Food and Drug Administration
has approved use of defatted crambe meal as a beef cattle protein supplement at
levels up to 4.2 percent of the total weight of rations.
Description
Crambe is an erect annual herb with large pinnately-lobed leaves approximately 4
inches long and 3 inches wide. Leaf petioles are about 8 inches long, channeled,
and hairy. Plant heights typically vary between 24 and 40 inches depending on the
season and plant density. The crop exhibits an indeterminate flowering habit and
may continue to set seed in late season. The flowers are white, numerous, and small.
The round seeds are borne singly and are about 1/8 inch in diameter. Each seed is
enclosed in a hull or pod which usually remains on the seed after harvest. The hulls
are typically light brown in color.