To secure raw materials of biodiesel production, the possibility of camellia (C. japonica L.) and tea (C. sinensis
L.) seed oil was studied to produce biodiesel. In this research, crude oil contents and fatty acid compositions of seeds were
analyzed by Solxlet and Gas chromatography (GC). The oil contents in the seeds of camellia were 69.8%~73.8%, and tea were
26.3%~29.4%. Among the fatty acids of camellia and tea oil, oleic acid was dominant. The unsaturated fatty acids accounted
for 88.4% and 80.2% of the whole fatty acids of camellia and tea seed oil. Total seed oil content and fatty acid composition
of tea seed were influenced by collecting date. Across maturation period, oil content of tea seed averaged 18.3% on 6th September
increasing to 27.9% by 11th October. For largest seed yield and oil content, the optimum time to harvest tea is in middle october,
and camellia is late september and thereafter. The extraction efficiency of oil from seeds by extraction methods was determined.
Biodiesel were synthesized in 92.1~92.8% yields from camellia and tea oils by transesterification. The biodiesel was characterized
by its physical and fuel properties including oxidation stability, iodine value and cold filter plugging point (CFPP). Oxidation stability
of camellia was 8.6~8.8 hours and tea was 2.9~3.6 at 110℃. Camellia oil had considerably better oxidation stability and CFPP
than tea oil.