Dr. Jayaraj Christopher (from India)

Photo Dr. Jayaraj
( at the front of biodiesel experiment apparatus)

India: population is 1,120,000,000 people, and economic growth is more than 8% every year continuously. Three Indian researchers study biomass by "The Asia Biomass Researcher invitation Program-FY2009" in Japan. They engage in biomass-related research in the Research and Development Center of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd . Indian Oil Corporation Ltd has 34,000 employee , and is the greatest oil refining / gas company in India. This company produces fuel for cars, besides runs a pilot plant of biodiesel and bioethanol for research and development aimed at practical use.

In India, evaluation of Bio-light oil(B-10) which contained 10% biodiesel has been conducted in detail by various agencies and meets all the requirements as transportation fuel. Evaluation of bio-gasoline (E-5) which mixed 5% bioethanol with gasoline has been carried out successfully and approved by OEM(Original Equipment Manufactures). . Indian Oil R&D centre is presently carrying out trial run for E-10.(mixed 10% bioethanol with gasoline). Bio-light oil and Bio-gasoline will be marketed in the near future.

We had an interview with Dr. Jayaraj Christopher, who studies in Seikei University, about study life in Japan.Dr. Jayaraj came to Japan at the end of September, 2009 and stays until February 10, 2010.His stay in Japan is for 4 months and a half. So far he has visited Germany and the United Kingdom but these were the short-term stay of two weeks both. This Japanese stay is the first time for him, and long-term stay of 4 months is the first experience. He applied for ”The Asia Biomass Researchers Invitation program" of New Energy Foundation (NEF) for the reason that “I want to go to Japan to know/research Japanese biomass technology in detail”.

He focused on research "Development of the solid catalyst in the biodiesel production" in the Professor Toshinori Kojima laboratory at Department of Material and Life Science Seikei University. There is a method to use calcium oxide (CaO) ,which is a solid catalyst ,for as one of the manufacturing processes of biodiesel from oils and fats (a plant / an animal). This method has advantages that calcium oxide is cheap and has a catalyst activity , besides it is easy to remove the catalyst from reaction solution.However, this method has disadvantage that CaO dissolves in the reaction medium and forms calicum compound with glycerine.

Photo Dr. Jayaraj
(biodiesel analysis by CaO catalysis method)

The theme of Dr. Jayaraj is new catalyst development that combined calcium oxide with various kinds of oxides to improve this disadvantage. He went to the laboratory and made experiment on Saturday, the weekend. He carries out on Saturday as a work day in Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, and he carries out in Japan also.

The visit training by NEF to Okinawa was held for one week at the end of January, 2010. Eleven invitation researchers who stay in Japan participated; in Okinawa he met again two Indian researchers who study in Mie University and Kyushu Institute of Technology , and he told us that "We spent a happy time to talk with each other about daily life in Japan .

Dr. Jayaraj lives in the guest house of the university, and he makes the meal with oneself in a room, but sometimes he goes out eating in restaurant. A menu is written in Japan and at first he did not understand it what kind of cooking it is , but ”Anyway, I challenged it to eat”.

He eats fish in India, but he has not eaten fresh (raw) fish. For the first time in life he ate fresh fish (sushi) in Japan. We asked “How is about the taste of fresh fish ?” He answered ”I already ate three times”. He seems to have much new experiences in Japan, and told us ”I want to come Japan again" in the end of the interview with a smile.