Amid high cost of living, some Nigerians shift to palm oil as replacement for engine oil. IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI examines the new development and dangers.
In the past weeks, some videos have trended on social media showing some people using palm oil as an alternative to engine oil for their vehicles. This was hinged on the rising cost of engine oil and even the cost of living in the country.
All these come on the heels of the reported breakthrough of Indonesia. The Asian country on Friday, October 27, 2023 announced that it had successfully conducted its first pal-oil-blended fuel jet.
The accompanying commentary in one of the videos noted that the use of palm oil for vehicle engines is the new gold, adding that several other reviews stated that it was better than regular engine oil.
The unidentified commentator also advised would-be users to try the method with their old diesel cars.
“Due to the high increase in prices of fuel, a lot of people are now converting their petrol engines into palm oil engines. With just five litres, it can take you from Nigeria to Jerusalem. The best thing about it is that it is low emission.
“Palm oil is known as an excellent raw material due to its numerous uses in various industries. There is no doubt that this is the new gold. I hope this will not escalate the price of palm oil in the market,” the commentator said.
In the video, one of the subjects was seen pouring palm oil into a 15 valve engine of a Toyota Highlander. Another man was seen pouring palm oil into a Nissan Rogue engine. The same bottle of palm oil was also emptied into the engine of a motorcycle and another Yamaha motorcycle.
The video generated comments from people who are surprised palm oil could be used in vehicles and as lubricants. Their major concern was on how safe it is to use palm oil to replace engine oil in a vehicle.
Those who expressed indifferent opinions believed it was a newfound solution and alternative to the engine oil which is now expensive in the market. They saw it in the same lens with the use of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) in generators and compressed natural gas (CNG) in vehicles which went viral recently.
They harped on the fact that the rising prices of petrol and engine oil have pushed many into unwarranted distress just as many private vehicle owners have abandoned their vehicles for public and mass transport options.
Responding to the development, a Lagos-based auto-diagnostician and lead technician at Mechomedics, Blessing Olasode, stated that it is not logical because both mineral and synthetic engine oils have different viscosity to palm oil.
“The manufacturers of the car have solid reasons for using engine oil. Palm oil has other properties that may not be suitable for the engine of the vehicles.
“The engine oil is to ensure that the lubrication of the piston is done properly in a way that doesn’t bring sludge into the engine. For every car, there is a specification of the engine oil that you’re supposed to use based on the tests they carried on the engine at the time of production.
“We have different grades of engine oil and the engines that use them differ from one another. If you use inappropriate oils on some engines, the engines won’t be able to properly adapt to them and thus lead to issues. Using palm oil does more harm to the engine,” Olasode said.
Explaining further, he expressed worry that the autoignition capability of palm oil to cause grease fire renders it unsuitable for use in vehicles where the temperature is as high as 200 degrees Celsius.
“When you heat palm oil to a certain extent, it catches fire and burns. The temperature in the vehicle engine is very high. Imagine you’re now using palm oil, the chance that the oil will dry up very fast is high. The viscosity of the oil is also high. All in all, you’re going to damage your car if you use palm oil as replacement of engine oil
“When you start using palm oil, your car will start smoking, the engine performance will change and sludge will build up in the engine. All these will spoil the engine.
“Palm oil can condense when it is cold and becomes a paste. The engine oil has been built in such a way that even if it is cold, it does not condense and by the time you start your car, it is readily available for use. Imagine using palm oil in the engine somewhere like Jos where it is cold. What happens when the palm oil condenses in such a situation?” he queried.
When asked if palm oil could be used in old engines, he discountenanced it, saying, “do we still use the same technology in use then now? The technology of many years ago cannot be compared with what we presently use. You may be able to try it in tricycles or so but you cannot even try that with some cars because of the adverse effects on the engine.”
Based on his experience, he said he does not know any alternative that could be used as lubricant, adding that if the manufacturers recommend a certain oil, it is best to stick to that and not look for alternatives.
“Anyone using something different should be ready for the consequences. Anyone using palm oil has been using the wrong oil in the first place. That kind of vehicle is on its way to getting damaged or breaking down. Using palm oil is just complicating the matter,” Olasode added.
Speaking to Sunday Tribune in the same vein, Professor Olatunde Oyelaran of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, noted that the use of palm oil in its regular form is unsafe for vehicles.
He, however, said the regular palm oil must undergo a chemical process such as transesterification, among others, before it could be considered safe for use in vehicles. The process, he said, removes water contents and other particles from oil.
He said: “There is ongoing research on how to use palm oil to replace diesel. In its pure form, it is not safe because of its water contents but there are processes the regular palm oil needs to go through before you can use it as a replacement. That process is called transesterification of palm oil which reduces its water content. It can be used as diesel. It contains similar properties and even has some advantages over petrol.
“Indonesia tested palm oil and after some processes, they have started using it as aviation fuel. Such palm oil must have passed through processes such as transesterification to reduce its viscosity which in the long run makes it safer for use.”
Corroborating Prof Oyelaran’s claim, a 2006 study by Razmah Ghazali of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Mohtar Yusof and Salmiah Ahmad titled “Non-Food Applications of Palm-Based Products – Market Opportunities and Environmental Benefits” explained that the processing of oils such as palm oil was necessitated by the clamour for more sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternatives.
“Vegetable oils such as rapeseed, palm, soyabean and coconut oils are already used for manufacturing of several products, including lubricants, surfactants, surface coatings, polymers, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics (Willing, 1999).
“In fact, many scientists already see the potential in agricultural crops as drivers of the world’s economy in the next few decades. The increasing use of vegetable oils in the manufacturing of industrial goods will significantly lessen global dependence on petroleum products.
“Vegetable oils have other advantages over petroleum – they are renewable, easily biodegraded, and their processing does not emit a large amount CO2, which is a greenhouse gas, whereas petroleum products contribute to increase in net CO2 emissions, are poorly biodegradable and their supply is depleting (Marvey, 2002),” the report read.
Explaining biodiesel as a fuel-derived from vegetable oil, the study noted that biodiesel underwent the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests which found that B20 (20% biodiesel blended with 80 per cent conventional diesel fuel) reduced total hydrocarbons by up to 30 per cent, carbon monoxide by up to 20 per cent, and total particulate matter by up to 15%.
It added that “emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) were very much dependent on the duty cycle of the engine and testing methods employed. Increases in NOx can be eliminated with the use of normal mechanical remediation techniques (e.g. catalysts or timing changes).
“Research also showed that the ozone forming potential of the hydrocarbon emissions from pure biodiesel is nearly 50 per cent less than that from petroleum emissions. Pure biodiesel does not contain sulphur and therefore has no sulphur dioxide emission from the engines.”
It added that “palm oil can be used as a biofuel either directly (as CPO) or as palm oil methyl esters (PME). MPOB, together with Elsbett GmbH, has developed an engine that can run on CPO with only some modifications to the fuel line system.
“The collaboration has resulted in an exhaustive field trial involving 20 Mercedes Benz cars. That the use of palm oil as fuel for the Elsbett engine has great potential is evident from the positive results (Ahmad and Salmah, 1998).
“PME has very similar properties to petroleum diesel, and thus can be used directly in conventional unmodified diesel engines.
“Agreements were made with two bus companies for road tests on three fuels, Malaysian diesel, 50:50 blend of PME and diesel, and pure PME. The results showed that the buses with normal diesel engines could just as well run on PME or the blend (Schäfer, 1998). PME can also be used as feedstock for many oleochemical derivatives.
“Further research in MPOB has indicated that a blend of 5 per cent refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) palm oil in petroleum diesel is suitable as a biofuel (B5 biofuel).”
The study also noted that lubricants from oleochemical esters are from renewable resources and can be considered as green alternatives because they exhibit very good or even superior technical performance and possess favourable ecological properties.
It listed the advantages of vegetable oil-based lubricants to include easy approval by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), environmentally benign (especially in total-loss systems) and user-friendliness.
It added that “vegetable oil-based lubricants evaporate less quickly and adhere better to the metal surfaces; therefore, less of the products need be used. Other cost benefits associated with vegetable oils include less environmental damage and penalties in case of spill, lower parts wear and maintenance costs and disposal fees.”
Speaking further on the level of research and development that have gone into the palm oil sector, Prof Oyelaran berated the government for its failure to support researches into the mechanical use of palm oil despite the availability of the resource in the country.
Checks by Sunday Tribune show that despite the improvement in production, Nigeria has fallen from its position as world leader to the fifth largest producer. In the 1950s, available data show that Nigeria generated about 43 per cent of the world’s total production. Sadly today, it has become a net importer of palm oil.
“Indonesia and Malaysia have made serious improvements with the palm oil seedlings they got from Nigeria. We now import palm oil from them,” Oyelaran said.
He added that “the government is really not encouraging. This is one of the many things our incubation centres are supposed to be doing all over the country so that there can be gradual replacement but we only have those agencies, they are not really doing their work and the Federal Government is not really concerned.
“If the government can support the researchers, it should be used as a proper replacement (for engine oil). It may need some modification just like we now use gas in our generators and vehicles but the government is not ready to support those who are ready to do it. We need to embrace our own technology.”
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
2023 Ballon d’Or: Osimhen finishes eight, becomes highest ranked Nigerian footballer
Super Eagles and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, has achieved the highest ranking for a Nigerian in the history of the Ballon d’Or football award. Osimhen achieved this milestone by ranking eighth in the 30-man list of the 2023 Ballon d’Or award...….
Tinubu intervenes in Fubara, Wike rift
President Bola Tinubu has moved to end the rift between Governor Simi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor in office, Nyesom Wike, which has dragged the state into a political crisis.The president used the opportunity of Tuesday’s meeting of the Police Council, which both attended as members, to ostensibly end the feud between the two political allies……..
Reps summon Betta Edu over N1.1trn Conditional Cash Transfer
The House of Representatives on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, over the implementation of the N1.1 trillion Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) for vulnerable Nigerians.The resolution which was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion under ‘Matters of urgent public importance’ sponsored by Hon. Moshood Adebayo (PDP-Osun), who harped on the need to scrutinize the policy on the CCT....….…
2024 Olympic Qualifiers: Super Falcons thrash Ethiopia, zoom to next round
Nigeria’s Super Falcons have booked a place in the third round of the qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games after a 4-0 win against Ethiopia at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday. The former African champions won the second-round contest 5-1 on aggregate…..…
Four kinds of people you should date
It’s a few months to the end of 2023, and you still wonder why you have not met a good person to do matching pyjamas with. Well, here are a few tips about the quality of people you should date as you move on from your past sour relationships......…
Ondo Assembly suspends impeachment of deputy gov Aiyedatiwa
The Ondo State House of Assembly has suspended the impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa following the refusal of the Chief Judge of the state, Olusegun Odusola, to set up a panel for the exercise...…
EDITORIAL: Sheikh Gumi’s incendiary outburst
RECENTLY, a Kaduna State-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, set the polity on edge, accusing the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration of committing the unpardonable sin of making a Nigerian of southern origin and immediate past governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike, the the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)..……
