Donato A G Aranda, Yordanka R Cruz and Gisel C Diaz
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Fundam Renewable Energy Appl
In this work, we investigate the synthesis of methyl esters (biodiesel) obtained from Scenedesmus dimorphus and others wet
algal biomass through the hydro-esterification process (esterification process preceded by hydrolysis) as possible alternative
for conventional processes. There is interest to develop new raw materials and reactions processes that favors the maintenance
of biodiesel in the global energy matrix (Some countries like Brazil have mandatory biodiesel programs). In the esterification
of fatty acids with methanol it was used niobium oxide as catalyst. The product was evaluated by gas chromatography and
other analyses according to ASTM D6751. The optimum conditions found in the conversion (%) for the hydrolysis reactions
(90, 86%), were observed in the molar ratio water:oil (20:1), at 300°C and after 1 hour, batch reactor. Esterification of algae
fatty acids onniobium oxide presented enough conversion after two steps using methanol:fatty acid (3:1, molar ratio), at 200°C,
during 1 hour with 20% of catalyst (wt/wt). Niobium catalyst has been used for 10 times under esterification conditions with
no significant deactivation. Under this methodology, biodiesel complies the ASTM standard with some antioxidant additive.
