PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE VIABILITY OF MURUMURU FAT FOR BIODIESEL PRODUCTION (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Society's growing energy demand brings to light its environmental problems in meeting, in a sustainable way, the required development requirements. Murumuru comes in this context as an alternative source of raw material for the production of biofuels. This study analyzes the technical feasibility of fat from the Murumuru oilseed (Astrocaryum Murumuru) for biodiesel production through the transesterification reaction. Analyzes were carried out to characterize the fat, including moisture content obtained following method No. 972.20 of the AOAC (1997), ash content using the methodology adapted from ASTM E1755-01 (ASTM, 2003), volatile material content using the methodology of D3175-07 (ASTM, 2013) and fixed carbon which was determined by the ASTM D3172-89 methodology (ASTM, 2013), as well as acidity index with the official AOCS Cd 3d-63 method, saponification index following the official AOCS Cd 3 methodology -25 (1997), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis and fat extraction yield. Based on the results obtained, the moisture content was determined to be 35.93%. The values of the immediate analyzes (ash content, volatile material and fixed carbon) were satisfactory, recording values of 1.45%, 92.07% and 6.47% respectively. The results of the acidity and saponification analyzes were 2.98% and 260.4% respectively, results consistent with those found in the literature.

Using Infrared spectroscopy analysis, the existence of absorption bands corresponding to axial, symmetrical and asymmetrical stretching or deformation of the C-H bonds of the CH2 and CH3 group was observed. It is possible to observe that the fat presented a broad band in the region 3677〖cm〗^(-1), this is an aspect of axial deformation of (O-H) groups in hydrogen bonds. The fat yield varied between 54.64% and 53.87, with an average of 53.73%, which indicates a satisfactory percentage.