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Biofuel theoretically acts the same way as fossil fuel but is solely made of plant-based materials, which are more easily generated in nature compared to the ancient fossil fuels. Tirumareddy is working under the supervision of Dr. Ajay Dalai , a distinguished professor at the U of S and Canada Research Chair in Bioenergy and Environmentally Friendly Chemical Processes, who has conducted globally renowned research programs that look at using biofuels to address worldwide environmental concerns.
Further analysis of the raw materials revealed that canola and mustard meals have some special chemical characteristics that allow them to convert into an oil product that is potentially useful. A problem, though, is that the oil produced is thick and doesn’t blend easily with petroleum, which is necessary for use in machinery like automobiles.
With her work published in multiple book chapters and being prepared for submission to an academic journal, Tirumareddy said her research is far from complete.