Efeito da catálise ácida e alcalina na produção e propriedades físico-químicas do biodiesel metílico de pinhão-manso

Abstract

The Brazilian enormous potential in the availability of various raw materials in the production of biodiesel requires close attention, because the production of vegetable oils in Brazil is based, mostly, on soybean. However, the increased demand for soybean oil provided the elevation of its market price and, consequently, the cost of biodiesel, making it more expensive than diesel. Seeking a greater diversity of oil in biodiesel production and avoiding competition with food products, the jatropha curcas is becoming a very viable alternative to planting on degraded land, semi-arid or for reforestation. The superior productivity of Jatropha in soybean and its resistance to adverse conditions favor its growth. The use of jatropha s oil is an alternative to soybean and can be used without the need of performing all stages of the oil s treatment, requiring only minor adaptations or the choice of different methods of catalysis. The objective of this work was to study different types of catalysts (alkaline, acid and double), in two different types of vegetable oil from jatropha curcas: Crude and refined oils, in order to observe the physico-chemical properties of the produced biodiesel, as well as their oxidation properties.