High oil species of microalgae cultured in growth optimized conditions have the potential to yield 5,000 – 15,000 gallons of microalgal oil per acre per year. As with any biological lipid, this is a potential feedstock for making the renewable fuel biodiesel. The main objectives of the project is to make use of the algae present in the water bodies and to extract the useful algal oil meant for Biodiesel production to meet the challenges of fuel requirement in the present scenario. Microalgal Oil was extracted from Chaetoceros sp. and the physico-chemical properties were determined. The Density, Viscosity, Acid value, Saponification value and free fatty acids were recorded as 1.305 gm/ml, 6.2 mm²/s, 2.5339 mg/gm of oil, 173.56 mg/gm of oil and 0.71 gm/100 gm of algae (Oleic acid). The fatty acid profile showed Pentadecanoic acid (17.56%), 1. Nonadecenoic acid (20.1%), methyl palmitate (2.91%), methyl linoleate (12.07%), palmitic acid (1.97%) as major fatty acids.

Key Words: Chaetoceros sp., Algal Oil, solvent extraction, Oil analysis, Algal Oil yield, fatty acids.