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Review

Ricinus communis as a Sustainable Alternative for Biodiesel Production: A Review

by
Miriam Martínez-González
1,
Miguel Angel Ramos-López
2,
Ana L. Villagómez-Aranda
2,
José Alberto Rodríguez-Morales
2,
Juan Campos-Guillén
2,
Karla Elizabeth Mariscal-Ureta
3,
Aldo Amaro-Reyes
2,
Juan Antonio Valencia-Hernández
2,
Diana Saenz de la O
2 and
Carlos Eduardo Zavala-Gómez
2,*
1
Facultad de Contabilidad y Administración, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro 76010, Mexico
2
Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro 76010, Mexico
3
Facultad de Derecho, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro 76010, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Fuels 2025, 6(4), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6040090
Submission received: 14 September 2025 / Revised: 8 October 2025 / Accepted: 15 November 2025 / Published: 2 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Conversion to Biofuels: 2nd Edition)
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Abstract

The current rise in global energy demand and environmental degradation has highlighted the need to use renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. Ricinus communis L. (castor bean oil) has emerged as a promising source for biofuels production due to high oil content (45–55%), ability to grow on marginal soils, and resistance to adverse conditions. This review analyzes 93 relevant studies from 2019 to 2025, selected by the PRISMA method (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) from databases such as Google Scholar and Web of Science. There were identified that agronomic techniques such as optimized plant spacing, balanced fertilization, and elicitation can significantly increase productivity. Among the production methods used, heterogeneous catalysis (96.8%) and enzymatic processes (90%) stand up for their sustainability and efficiency. However, the main limitation remains the high viscosity of castor biodiesel (14–18 mm2/s at 40 °C), which exceeds international quality standards. Even so, castor biodiesel offers excellent lubricity (reduces injection wear by 20%), has standard oxidative stability, and has a relatively low cetane number (38–42), which poses challenges for ignition quality. Improvement strategies such as blending, enzymatic modification, and additive incorporation have shown potential to mitigate these limitations. The review also addresses environmental benefits, regulatory challenges, and market opportunities where the castor biodiesel offers competitive advantages. Enhancing research and innovation, supported by targeted public policies and technical standards, is essential to overcome current barriers and enable the commercial adoption of castor biodiesel as part of a more sustainable and diversified energy future.
Keywords: Ricinus communis; biodiesel; biofuels; renewable energy; sustainability; transesterification Ricinus communis; biodiesel; biofuels; renewable energy; sustainability; transesterification

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MDPI and ACS Style

Martínez-González, M.; Ramos-López, M.A.; Villagómez-Aranda, A.L.; Rodríguez-Morales, J.A.; Campos-Guillén, J.; Mariscal-Ureta, K.E.; Amaro-Reyes, A.; Valencia-Hernández, J.A.; Saenz de la O, D.; Zavala-Gómez, C.E. Ricinus communis as a Sustainable Alternative for Biodiesel Production: A Review. Fuels 2025, 6, 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6040090

AMA Style

Martínez-González M, Ramos-López MA, Villagómez-Aranda AL, Rodríguez-Morales JA, Campos-Guillén J, Mariscal-Ureta KE, Amaro-Reyes A, Valencia-Hernández JA, Saenz de la O D, Zavala-Gómez CE. Ricinus communis as a Sustainable Alternative for Biodiesel Production: A Review. Fuels. 2025; 6(4):90. https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6040090

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martínez-González, Miriam, Miguel Angel Ramos-López, Ana L. Villagómez-Aranda, José Alberto Rodríguez-Morales, Juan Campos-Guillén, Karla Elizabeth Mariscal-Ureta, Aldo Amaro-Reyes, Juan Antonio Valencia-Hernández, Diana Saenz de la O, and Carlos Eduardo Zavala-Gómez. 2025. "Ricinus communis as a Sustainable Alternative for Biodiesel Production: A Review" Fuels 6, no. 4: 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6040090

APA Style

Martínez-González, M., Ramos-López, M. A., Villagómez-Aranda, A. L., Rodríguez-Morales, J. A., Campos-Guillén, J., Mariscal-Ureta, K. E., Amaro-Reyes, A., Valencia-Hernández, J. A., Saenz de la O, D., & Zavala-Gómez, C. E. (2025). Ricinus communis as a Sustainable Alternative for Biodiesel Production: A Review. Fuels, 6(4), 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6040090

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