LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA LEAVES AS A SOURCE OF ETHANOL

An Investigatory Project presented to the Science and Technology Department

Submitted to: Ms. Ashley Maria Dimanlig Science Adviser

Submitted by: Calvin Kyle Narvaez Don Francis Mendoza Enzo Bartolome Daniel Torralba

Leucaena Leucocephala Leaves as a source of Ethanol

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In the Philippine market nowadays, ethanol is the most expensive chemical sold. Ethanol has long been widespread used as a solvent, of substances intended for human contact or consumption including scents, flavorings, colorings, and medicine. It is also used as a fuel for heat, light, and for combustion engines. It is regarded as a clean fuel.

Tropical countries like the Philippines, has many species of tropical starch-rich trees like leucaena leucocephala commonly known as Ipil-ipil. Leucaena

leucocephala trees are widely distributed in most localities at low and medium altitudes throughout the Philippines and are fast-growing rhizomes. Leucaena leucocephala leaves contain 18.6% carbohydrates which show a potential 1 for ethanol production. Ethanol can be obtained from leucaena leucocephala leaves by the process of fermentation, simple distillation and fractional distillation.

Leucaena Leucocephala Leaves as a source of Ethanol

Statement of the Problem

The objective of the study is to determine the feasibility of ipil-ipil leaves (leucaena leucocephala) extract to produce ethanol through process of fermentation and distillation. Main Problem: How we can produce ethanol by just using ipil-ipil leaves extract? Questions: 1. How many ipil-ipil leaves do we need to produce a sufficient amount of ethanol that we can use to supply the local market? 2. What are the tests needed to support our claim that ipil-ipil leaves can produce ethanol? 3. How can we compare the ethanol produced from ipil-ipil leaves to commercial ethanol?

Hypotheses of the Study

By the process of fermentation and distillation of ipil-ipil leaves extract, we can produce a certain amount of ethanol.

Leucaena Leucocephala Leaves as a source of Ethanol

Significance of the Study

The Philippines, being among the third world countries, has extremely high prices of chemicals, especially ethanol, which became one of the problems in the field of science and technology problem in the country. Ethanol helps a cars engine to burn fuel more completely and slowly resulting in smoother engine-running. Thus, releases less pollution to the environment, gives comfort to the motorists and lower the price of oil. It also makes the expenses of certain conduction of experiments lesser and also makes products like alcohol-based products to come in cheap. By conducting this study, the pollution from combustion engines burning gasohol (mixture of gasoline and ethanol) may be lessened and the expense of the chemical may also too, be lessened.

Scope and Limitation

The study uses fresh leaves from young Leucaena Leucocephala trees which are softer, tender, and easier to be extracted with starch used in ethanol-production. The ethanol was tested and made to concentrate to 95.6% for the purpose of using it as a solvent as intended by the study.

Leucaena Leucocephala Leaves as a source of Ethanol

In this research, we will be able to prove that the ipil-ipil leaves can produce alcohol, ethanol. The results are tested and proven.

In order to succeed in the market, we should use a more efficient and high-end machineries to produce a much safer, organic ethanol.

Definition of Terms

Distillate- is the liquid acquired from the distillation set-up

Extraction- referred to in the study, is the juice that is from the ipil-ipil leaves after it has been pounded and boiled in water.

Sucrose- crystalline disaccharide of fructose and glucose found in many plants but extracted as ordinary sugar mainly from sugar cane and sugar beets, widely used as a sweetener or preservative and in the manufacture of plastics and soups.

PH Level- the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution

Inflammability test- a variety of test protocols exist to quantify flammability (e.g. red or blue)