Water leaching for improving fuel properties of pongamia Pod: Informing process design

Abstract Pongamia seedpods are recognized as a potential feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel production due to the relatively high oil content of the seeds. Pongamia pods are byproduct residues available after seed separation. Pods have high chlorine and potassium content that may be problematic in thermochemical energy conversion systems. Leaching experiments were performed to remove inorganic constituents of pods and thereby reduce the potential for fouling, slagging, and agglomeration. A 23 factorial design determined the impacts of process operating parameters (i.e. rinse water temperature (25 °C vs. 75 °C), rinse duration (10 min vs. 2 h), and particle size (