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Globalization, urbanization and industrialization have paved the way for manufacturing activities and production, maintaining standards and competition which have eventually resulted in skyrocketing fuel prices, a drastic increase in carbon emissions as well as exhaustion of petroleum resources at an alarming level. Multiple researchers have therefore explored alternative fuels for diesel engines. Industries have time and again proven to develop technologies that have not only reduced the emissions produced in combustion engines but have also increased their efficiency, power and fuel economy. Using alternative fuels can also aid in reducing air pollution. Biodiesel is an alternative, renewable and biodegradable fuel which can significantly reduce emissions in an automobile and push the economical, sustainable and smart growth of the country. Kusum (Schleichera oleosa) oil still has great potential which must be realized.

India possesses only 0.3% of world petroleum reserves and hence heavily dependent upon petroleum derived fuels to feed its rapidly growing economy. Diesel Engines due to their superior performance have wide application in India, however, they also pollute environment significantly. Research is underway in India and elsewhere to explore the potential of variety of alternative fuels which could substitute diesel in a holistic manner. And in this context, non-edible vegetable oils are very promising as India has a large area of degraded land where such crops could be raised without compromising food security. Large number of studies have suggested that vegetable oils are not suitable in neat form as a fuel in diesel engine and should be trans-esterified using either methanol or ethanol to form esters to bring their properties similar to diesel fuel.

Biodiesel in has gained great momentum in last few years and has been a subject of vast research all around the globe. Bulk of the research work carried out so far has been confined to production of methyl esters of vegetable oil that is known as biodiesel in the transesterification process. In the present study, jatropha oil ethyl ester (JOEE) was prepared using transesterification process with ethanol and KOH as a catalyst. The evaluation of important physico-chemical properties was carried and the properties were found within acceptable limits of ASTM/EN standards. A small capacity diesel engine was fuelled with different blends of JOEE and diesel and various performances, emission and combustion characteristics were evaluated. The results suggested that brake thermal efficiency was increased and emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and smoke opacity were found lower for JOEE blend confirming better combustion due to the oxygenated fuel and higher cetane rating.