Cuphea Production and Management - Industrial Crops: Breeding for BioEnergy and Bioproducts - page 291

C. viscosissima VS-320 has a low viscosity, higher than Number 2 diesel fuel but
lower than rapeseed oil [ 35 ].
Biodiesel from cuphea has also been evaluated as nonselective contact herbicide
in turfgrasses. A 2 % cuphea biodiesel caused significant injury to sicklepod ( Senna
obtusifolia (L.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby) and common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca
L.) and also injury to the perennial rye grass ( Lolium perenne L.). The low
environmental impact, low cost, user friendly, and low risk of over application
makes cuphea biodiesel an interesting potential herbicide alternative for
turfgrasses [ 36 ].
Cuphea oil estolide derivatives have superior physical properties than
petroleum-derived estolides and can be used to manufacture biodegradable, vege-
table oil-based lubricants, cosmetics, and coatings [ 37 ]. Estolides are esters formed
from vegetable oils when the carboxylic acid functional group reacts with other
fatty acids to form an ester linkage [ 37 ]. Secondary linkages in estolides make them
more resistant to hydrolysis than triacylglycerol. The oleic-octanoate (caprylic
acid) and oleic-decanoate (capric acid) estolide 2-ethylhexyl esters were the best
performers of the estolides tested. When compared with commercial lubricants
(petroleum oil, synthetic oil, soy-based oil, and hydraulic fluid), the oleic-decanoate
estolide 2-ethylhexyl ester had the lowest cloud point (~

41 C) indicating

excellent performance under cold temperatures [ 38 , 39 ].
Cuphea pressed cake, a coproduct after oil extraction, can be used for animal
feed [ 40 , 41 ] and as filler in poly(lactic) green composite materials to make the
price more competitive [ 42 ].

Cuphea's Current and Potential Markets

The world market for lauric acid is 4.5 million metric ton (mt) and the US
consumption is at 1.5 million mt or one-third of annual production [ 43 ]. Most of
the oil rich in lauric acid come from Malaysia and Indonesia. Total coconut, palm,
and palm kernel oil imported into the United States reached about 2.1 million mt in
2010 [ 44 ] (Table 13.1 ). The amount and value imported into the United States have
about doubled since 2005 (Tables 13.2 and 13.3 ). Coconut, palm kernel, and palm
oil prices fluctuate yearly with a record high value in 2008. Their prices have

Table 13.1 US import volume of coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil from 2005 to 2010

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

( 1,000 mt)

Oil

Coconut 432 493 458 499 484 576

Palm kernel 232 274 279 327 312 578

Palm 416 629 788 997 979 948

Total 1,080 1,396 1,525 1,823 1,775 2,102

Based on data from Ref. [ 44 ]