Chlorella sp oil and biodiesel rheological behavior

• Grant number: 14/17410-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2014
• End date: November 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Daniela Helena Pelegrine Guimarães
• Grantee: Pedro Henrique Gomes Vinhal
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Renewable fuels production got great incentive recently, with fuel prices increase and more environmental issues concerns. Among raw materials available for biofuels, microalgae emerge as a sustainable alternative due high productivity and needlessness in land and water quality. Taking into account the growing interest in microalgae use as biodiesel raw this research aims to analyze Chlorella sp oil and biodiesel rheological behavior. The oil will be characterized regarding saponification, acidity and iodine contents, and fatty acids average composition. Onde obtained the biofuel, this will be characterized regarding specific heat, cetane number, fatty acids average composition and triglycerides absence. Rheological analyses will be conducted with rotational concentric cylinders rheometer.