Isophoric News · Thursday, October 22, 2026
Japanese chemists make an aviation fuel blend from coconut oil in lab and micro jet engine tests
Chemists at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan have made a fuel that can be blended with kerosene from waste coconut fruit left over from oil extraction, using a co-solvent method that works at room pressure and at lower temperatures than other biofuel feedstocks require, Good News Network reported. In tests of blends from 10% to 50% coconut fuel in a micro jet engine, thermal efficiency was comparable to that of pure kerosene, fuel consumption was slightly higher, and emissions of unburned hydrocarbons fell by between 5% and 40% depending on the blend, according to the report. Carbon dioxide and nitric oxide levels stayed consistent with kerosene, and the researchers said more work is needed before commercialization, mostly because carbon monoxide emissions rose, which could be harmful to ground crews, Good News Network said.
