Patent granted to Kerala Veteran for Bio-diesel from rendered Chicken Oil

– Nikita Dobhal, student Uttarakhand Technical University, Dehradun

Recently, a patent for an invention entitled, ‘The Indian Patent Office granted biodiesel Production From Rendered Chicken Oil’ for a term of 20 years from January 18, 2014 (date of filling) under the provisions of the of the Patents Act, 1970 on July 7, 2021.[1] Here, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University is the patentee. The patent number of the concerned patent is 371344, and the application number for the same is 219/CHE/2014. John Abraham, a veterinary-doctor, invented this biodiesel.

This invention results from his doctoral research at the Namakkal Veterinary College under the Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University.[2] The field of invention is chemicals. This invention mainly relates to biodiesel and, more particularly, producing biodiesel from rendered chicken oil.

Biodiesel offers several fuel advantages over petroleum diesel, including improved lubricity, a higher flash point, lower toxicity, bio-degradability, and no net contribution to the greenhouse effect because it is made from renewable 15 resources. Biofuels can increasingly satisfy these energy needs in an environmentally benign and cost-effective manner while reducing dependence on the import of fossil fuels and thereby providing a higher degree of National Energy Security. It enhances the mechanical, brake thermal, lower engine wear, and a noiseless engine, improving fuel cost due to its enhanced lubricating potentials.[3] This biodiesel provides a mileage of over 38 km a liter at around 40 percent of the current diesel price, resulting in reducing the pollution by half.[4] The patent got approval after a long time of seven-and-a-half years.[5]

People may use this biodiesel in every type of diesel engine at a blending level of 20%.[6] Also, it cuts down the overall fuel utilization along with brake-specific fuel consumption.[7] For old diesel engines blending ratio can be of 80:20, whereas on the contrary, for new CDREi engines, it the blending ratio is 20:80.[8] This diesel appears similar to the standard diesel. It is light yellow in colour and smells like veg oil.[9] The over-all yield of rendered chicken oil amounts to 4 percent of the mass of the entire waste.[10] One more co-product is glycerol.[11] Glycerol is widely used in bakeries, pharma, epoxy resins, food and beverages etc. It may raise Rs 254 per litre.[12]

IOC, BPCL, the Railways operating at Shatabti Express and Karnataka and Kerala state road transport corporations are prime biodiesel purchasers. In April 2015, a quality certificate for discovering biodiesel from chicken waste was awarded to John Abraham by the Bharat Petroleum’s Kochi Refinery following his research. Abraham and Hindustan Petroleum would visit the Tamil Nadu veterinary university to commercialize this biodiesel.[13] John Abraham gave the following reasons for using chicken for producing biodiesel-

• Chicken waste is much economical, readily available, and it enhances engine efficiency due to the presence of more oxygen.[14]
• Pigs and birds have a single stomach that leads to a higher fat saturation, and it is easy to extract oil at room temperature.[15]

[1] For details, see Technovuus ARAI (araiindia.com) , available at https://technovuus.araiindia.com/news/details /ODI3 (accessed in 3, September, 2021).
[2] For details, see Kerala vet gets patent for biodiesel from chicken waste - Energy Asia, available at https://energyasia.co.in/oil-gas/kerala-vet-gets-patent-for-biodiesel-from-chicken-waste/ (accessed in 4, September, 2021).
[3] Ibid.
[4] For details, see Biodiesel: Kerala vet doc gets patent for biodiesel from chicken waste, Auto News, ET Auto (indiatimes.com), available at https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-lubes/kerala-vet-doc-gets-patent-for-biodiesel-from-chicken-waste/84756700  (accessed in 3, September, 2021).
[5] Ibid.
[6] Kerala Veterinarian John Abraham Gets Patent For Biodiesel From Chicken Waste (ndtv.com), available at https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kerala-veterinarian-john-abraham-gets-patent-for-biodiesel-from-chicken-waste-2494515  (accessed in 4, September, 2021).
[7] Ibid.
[8] For details, see Kerala vet gets patent for biodiesel from chicken waste - Energy Asia, available at https://energyasia.co.in/oil-gas/kerala-vet-gets-patent-for-biodiesel-from-chicken-waste/ (accessed in 4, September, 2021).
[9] Ibid.
[10] For details, see Kerala veterinarian gets patent for biodiesel from chicken waste - Deccan Herald | DailyHunt, available at https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/deccan+herald-epaper-deccan/kerala+veterinarian+gets+patent+for+biodiesel+from+chicken+waste-newsid-n301460020 (accessed in 4, September, 2021).
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] For details, see Kerala: John Abraham, a veterinarian, gets patent for biodiesel from chicken waste (republicworld.com), available at https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/kerala-john-abraham-a-veterinarian-gets-patent-for-biodiesel-from-chicken-waste.html , (accessed in 4, September, 2021).
[15] Ibid.