Biofuels & Bioenergy

Biography

Biography: Camila Santana Carriço

Abstract

Homogeneous catalysis is a common industrial process for biodiesel production and alkali-metal methoxides are oft en used as catalysts. Th ese catalysts allow for obtaining high conversion rates using reactions with low temperatures and times shorter than 1 hour. However, the drawbacks of their use are that these catalysts are unrecoverable, favor saponifi cation reactions and generate large volumes of aqueous effl uents with environmental impacts. Th e objective of this study was to synthesis and characterization of the Ca-Al mixed oxide produced from the thermal decomposition of a synthetic hydrocalumite. Th e produced mixed oxide was tested as a catalyst in the transesterifi cation reaction for biodiesel production using the following reagents: Refi ned soybean oil, crude macauba kernel oil, methanol and ethanol. Th e synthetic hydrocalumite and mixed oxide were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry-diff erential scanning calorimetry coupled with mass spectrometry, specifi c surface area, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption of CO2. Th e catalytic tests indicated that the methanol reactions exhibited more favorable kinetics than the ethanol reactions regardless of the oil type used (soybean or macauba). Ethanolysis produced better results for the higher molar mass oil (soybean) due to the effect of the ethanol cosolvent. Th e catalyst was effi cient for transesterifi cation, with conversions of 97% and 95% for soybean and macauba oil respectively, in 1.5 hour of reaction, at atmospheric pressure and refl ux temperature. Th e mixed oxide presented more favorable kinetics than the CaO, using soybean oil and methanol.