Experimental Investigation on Brake Thermal Efficiency and Emission Characteristics of Plastic Oil-Mahua Biodiesel Blends in CRDI Diesel Engine

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Tamil Nadu, India
² Department of Adult, Continuing Education and Extension, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published online: 16 April 2026

Abstract

The adoption of sustainable fuels has gained momentum due to increased environmental awareness issues and increased energy needs in the world. This study is concerning the use of biodiesel produced out of plastic oil and Mahua oil methyl ester (PMME) in relation to its performance and emission characteristics. To find out the performance of PMME synthesized by a two-step transesterification method, an investigation was done. It was a single cylinder, four stroke Common Rail Direct Injection diesel engine that was tested at 1400 rpm of constant speed load beneath a load of 25 percent up to 100 percent. Brake thermal efficiency (BTE) was measured in 100 per cent load, which was 8.31 per cent and 12.81 per cent lower than the diesel, likely due to the low calorific value and high viscosity of the latter. Relative to diesel, PMME25 showed a 16.49 percentage change in brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) that indicated the use of more fuel. Emission analysis showed that oxygenated nature of PMME25 reduced CO emission by 0.8 percent and HCs emission by 50.15 percent at full load. Nevertheless, due to reduced combustion temperatures, NO emissions fall 55.5% in comparison to diesel. These results demonstrate the potential of PMME as a green biofuel, lending credence to the idea of carbon neutrality and long-term energy sustainability.