Potencialidade energética do óleo de oiticica {Licania Rigida Benth) para produção de biodiesel etílico.

Abstract

Before the biodiversity of the Brazilian ecosystem and its diversification regarding the raw material to bio fuels purposes, it can be evidenced that most of these oleaginous is destined to feeding purposes, jeopardizing the productive chain of biodiesel. However, there is a huge potential to be explored, oleaginous that propitiates the sustainability of the region, for instance, the oiticica (Licania rigid Benth), .species native from the semiarid of Brazilian Northeast. In this context, the present work has proposed to investigate the energetic potentiality of oiticica oil as a source of raw material for the production of biodiesel. The oiticica oil, obtained by mechanical extraction, presented acidity of 14,2 mg KOH/g. The biodiesel obtained from the reaction of sterification of crude oil, followed by the transesterification reaction, through ethylic via, has indicated acidity of 0.45 mg KOH/g and 52.27% of conversion of ethylic esters. The yield obtained was 93.6 %. The infrared analysis referent to biodiesel has confirmed the presence of vibrational band of 1739,7 cm"1 with strong intensity attributed to stretching vibration of carbonyl (C=0), characteristic of the esters. The profiles of thermal decomposition of the oil and oiticica biodiesel were analyzed in atmosphere of synthetic air and heating rate of 10 0C.min"', and it revealed that the oil and the biodiesel have three decomposition steps and/or volatilization correspondent of the components of short chain of oil or esters (1s t and 2n d step) and combustion (3r d step). And that the oil and the oiticica biodiesel have shown initial temperature of decomposition of 224 °C and 179 °C, this result proves that biodiesel offers more security concerning handling. In short, the oiticica oil is a promising alternative to the Northeastern region, for the results demonstrate the energetic potentiality for the production of biodiesel.