Eficiência do extrato bruto de Aspergillus sp na conversão de óleo de babaçu em biodiesel.

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of the raw extract of Aspergillus sp in the process of transesterification of babassu coconut oil. The babassu coconut was obtained in the city of Coelho Neto in the interior of the State of Maranhão. The oil was extracted with the help of a hydraulic press (discontinuous pressing). The oil was duly characterized. To obtain the crude extract containing lipase, the fungus Aspergillus sp, isolated from the effluent of a Dairy Industry, was inoculated (108 spores.mL-1) in banana peel bran, supplemented with residual soybean oil (1%) in fermentation in solid state, during 120h. The determination of lipolytic activity was performed by titration, according to Pastore et al. (2003). For the production of biodiesel, the esterification of oleic acid and the transesterification of babassu oil via enzymatic catalysis were performed. Reactions were performed in 125-ml Erlenmeyers containing babassu oil (5.0 g, 5.4 mL) and enzymatic extract (1 mL) and were maintained in an orbital agitator (Tecnal) at room temperature and 130 rpm. After the periods of 0.1.2 and 3 hours, ethanol (15.0 mL) was added to each of the samples in the quadruplicate experiment. The quality of the product generated was evaluated by infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform (FTIR). The babassu oil presented parameters within the quality standard established in accordance with the parameters indicated by the Resolution of the Collegiate Board of Directors - RDC nº 270 of 22/09/2005 of ANVISA. The fungus produced raw extract containing 170 U.mL-1 of lipase and 4.75 of pH. The product generated by the action of lipase indicating that there was no oil conversion, being basically ethanol.