Produção de biodiesel de óleo de soja (Glycine max) via transesterificação In situ

Abstract

Biodiesel is a fuel obtained by transesterifying oils and fats in the presence of an alcohol and a catalyst. Such a process can be carried out with the oil extracted from the oilseed or by direct contact of the seed with alcohol, which is called in situ transesterification. In this context, the present work consists of a review of the main methods and materials used in the biodiesel production, focusing on in situ transesterification, which is considered a second-generation technique. In the experimental procedure, an oil:methanol:catalyst molar ratio of 1:226:1.6 was used for catalysis with sodium hydroxide; for catalysis with potassium hydroxide, 5% was used in relation to the mass of soybean. It was observed, however, difficulties on the separation of the products after the reaction. Thin layer chromatography was performed to characterize the formation of biodiesel, indicating a positive result for the formation of esters, although in a small amount. It is concluded that researches on this procedure to obtain biodiesel, but with the use of other options of oilseeds, that can be exploited due to the wide range of these found in Brazil, should be expanded.