Human Resources Training Program in Biofuel Chemistry, Decarbonization and New Materials.

• Grant number: 25/03803-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Vanya Marcia Duarte Pasa
• Grantee: Vanya Marcia Duarte Pasa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Exatas (ICEx). Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Belo Horizonte , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Alessandra Schneider Henn ; Ana Paula de Carvalho Teixeira ; CAMILA NUNES COSTA CORGOZINHO ; Clésia Cristina Nascentes ; EDUARDO NICOLAU DOS SANTOS ; Elena Vitalievna Goussevskaia ; Fabiano Vargas Pereira ; Fernando Cotting ; Hállen Daniel Rezende Calado ; Hélio Anderson Duarte ; Helvécio Costa Menezes ; LETÍCIA MALTA COSTA ; LUCIA PINHEIRO SANTOS PIMENTA ; Luiz Carlos Alves de Oliveira ; Marcelo Machado Viana ; PAULO JORGE SANCHES BARBEIRA ; Rita de Cássia de Oliveira Sebastião ; ROCHEL MONTERO LAGO ; Rossimiriam Pereira de Freitas ; Tiago Antônio da Silva Brandão ; Tulio Matencio ; Willian Ricardo Rocha ; ZENILDA DE LOURDES CARDEAL
• Associated researchers: Daniel Bastos de Rezende ; Maria Helena de Araujo ; Mariana Ramos de Almeida ; PATRICIA ALEJANDRA ROBLES AZOCAR ; Renata Costa Silva Araujo ; Valmir Fascio Juliano

Abstract

The objective of PRH1.1/UFMG is to train human resources in biofuel chemistry, decarbonization and new materials through complementary training for students in chemistry and chemical engineering courses, at undergraduate and graduate levels (master's, doctorate and post-doctorate) and through the development of PD&I projects in the following areas of emphasis: fuel stability; aviation fuels and green diesel; diesel oil; additives; conversion of lignocellulosic materials; biokerosene; characterization and quality control; co-products; hydrogen production; fuel cell; application of hydrogen as an energy carrier; nanomaterials; corrosion and protection; new materials; waste minimization - reduction, reuse and recycling; remediation and recovery of contaminated and impacted areas and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), in addition to lubricants and biolubricants. To this end, different synthesis routes, new catalysts and residual national raw materials such as lignocellulosic bio-oils, fatty materials (tallow and frying oils), and non-edible oilseeds such as macauba, castor oil and others will be used. The PD&I projects should also focus on the use of these sustainable fuels in mixtures with fossil derivatives, evaluating the stability of the mixtures in order to guarantee their quality for automotive, aeronautical, maritime and industrial use. New, faster and more portable analytical methodologies will be developed, in addition to chemometric studies, to ensure that the final fuels comply with ANP resolutions and current global legislation. All products generated will be analyzed using international standards from ASTM, ISO, European, or ABNT, in order to increase the TRL of the technologies and achieve high quality standards. Whenever possible, processes and products will be patented, modeled and scaled, and presented to potential industrial partners or used by startups created by students and researchers. Consequently, entrepreneurship will be one of the focuses of PRH 1.1. The environmental area will also be considered through the search for clean technologies, with a smaller carbon footprint and helping the country to meet its international climate commitments. This proposal aims to continue the efforts that have been made in pursuit of excellence in the area of research and technological development and training of human resources for the oil, gas and biofuels sector, since LEC/DQ-UFMG, the anchor laboratory of this proposal, has hosted PRH-46 (Biofuel Chemistry) since 2011, and PRH1.1 since 2020. The laboratory has an infrastructure with more than 30 million reais in calibrated equipment, which works under strict international quality standards and is available to companies and PRH students to develop their research. In addition, PRH1.1 (2025) will have the participation of 34 highly experienced and qualified researchers, who could not fail to place their intellectual capital at the disposal of Brazil. Evidence of the excellence of these researchers is the number of awards the team has received, such as the Petrobrás Technology Award, The UFMG Thesis Award, The CAPES Thesis Award Honorable Mention, and The ANP Technology Award. Therefore, we believe that students have all the conditions available to develop as professionals in PRH1.1, as there is a culture of striving for excellence in all areas of activity of the Chemistry Department of UFMG, with a greater focus on the training of its students and disruptive research. (AU)