Produção de biodiesel metílico e etílico de oleaginosas Amazônicas: caracterização físico-química e estudos térmico e cinético

Abstract

This study aimed to synthesize methyl and ethyl biodiesel from six amazonian species of vegetable oils and fat through the transesterification reaction process using alkaline homogeneous catalysis, determine the heat capacity values of oils and methyl and ethyl biodiesel by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in the temperature range of 55 to 195°C, and correlate with information estimated by the group contribution method, to investigate the thermal stability of oils and biodiesel produced by thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG) and perform kinetic study of the decomposition thermal of biodiesels using the Ozawa method. Classic physicochemical analysis for the characterization the vegetable oils and the biodiesel synthesized samples were used. The results for the physicochemical properties of methyl biodiesel samples were consistent with the values specified by the Resolution No. 45 of 2014 of the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (RANP 45/14). The results of heat capacity determined by DSC showed that the methyl biodiesel pracaxi showed the highest values, while for ethyl, it was observed for the biodiesel buriti, andiroba and pracaxi. Most heat capacity data obtained for the methyl and ethyl biodiesel determined by DSC and by the group contribution method were satisfactory, as they showed smaller relative deviations or equal to 15% and showed good correlation coefficients ranged from 0, 8617 to 0.9947. The studies on the thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the oils and fat were stable in the temperature range of 110 to 220°C, in inert atmosphere and, in an oxidizing atmosphere, were thermally stable to 130 at 165°C. All the synthesized biodiesel samples is degraded at temperatures up to 150°C, which is highly volatile, a very important feature for the application in diesel engines. The kinetic study of the thermal decomposition of the methyl and ethyl biodiesel met activation energy values ranging from the 46.23 124.93 kJ.mol-1 and showed that the ethyl biodiesel were more stable than the methyl biodiesel.