Estudo do processo de produção de biodiesel de óleo de coco catalisado enzimaticamente

Abstract

Nowadays the search for renewable fuel has increased a lot. That way, the biodiesel emerges as an alternative in relation to the petroleum and its derivatives since its production is cheaper and the emission of pollutant decreases very much, besides being a source of renewable energy. The utilization of vegetable oil in Brazil has a –future, once that Brazil is one of the biggest worldwide producers of soybean and has big expectations for the production of other seeds. Among the many oil derivates one can highlight the seeds of soybean, peanut, coconut, corn, sunflower and cotton. The objective of this work was the study of variables that interfere in the transesterification of coconut oil in the production of biodiesel in catalytic systems of immobilizes enzymes. The transesterification reactions were conducted in closed erlenmeyers, maintaining the stable agitation in 200rpm and catalyzed by commercial lipase Novozym 435. The experiment were accomplished according to a experimental planning 24 where the variables studied were temperature (40-60°C), enzyme concentration (3-7%) reason oil-ethanol (1:6-1:10) and was varied the alcohol type used (methanol-ethanol). The best result, 80,5% of conversion, was obtained in the condition of highest temperature, higher molar reason, higher enzyme concentration and ethanol as alcohol. The income obtained showed that the results with ethanol were more significant when compared to methanol.