Biodiesel production from Macauba oil aiming an alternative route for production

Currently, the concern with the environmental impact and the scarcity of combustible materials from non-renewable sources, make the search for techniques for clean energy production become indispensable as a policy of the global energy matrix. In Brazil, as well as ethanol, biodiesel is one of the biofuels that has received a strong contribution of resources for research and development. The economic viability of biodiesel production is sustained in the availability of low-cost raw materials. Given this scenario, it is highly relevant to carry out specific research for the incorporation and sustainable exploitation of native oilseed plants as sources of raw material in the bioenergetic matrix. In the state of Minas Gerais, potential sources of oil for biodiesel production include forage turnip, Jatropha and macaúba. Observing aspects related to the amount produced per cultivated area, it is verified that Macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata) is a promising raw material for obtaining vegetable oils.This work aimed to explore Macauba oil as a raw material for biodiesel production, through an alternative route. The process took place in two stages: liquid-liquid extraction; alkali catalyzed transesterification reaction. Acidity index analyzes were performed on crude oil and after liquid-liquid extraction to confirm the reduction of free fatty acids. Besides being possible to obtain the desired final product, the results demonstrated the possibility of obtaining refined Macaúba oil, with low acidity, making it a suitable raw material for biodiesel production