Phase equilibrium thermodynamics for the comprehension and improvement of thermal and mechanical properties of lipidic biocompounds and biofuels

• Grant number: 14/03992-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: February 01, 2015
• End date: September 22, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles
• Grantee: Guilherme José Maximo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Lipidic biocompounds are present in several products of the food, pharmaceutical and energy industries. However, their multifuncionality is proporcional to the thecnical challenges that industry and science are asked to overcome in their manipulation, especially taking into account their effect in the human organism or in the development of new products and processes. This happens, for example, in the process of accumulation of cholesterol and other lipidic biocompounds in the body and the crystallization of biofuels produced from fat and oils in pipes or engines. An alternative to solve some of these problems is the manipulation of the nano- and microstructures of these compounds in order to induce changes in thermal and mechanical properties of the systems containg them. In this context, through the phase equilibrium thermodynamics, this project is aimed at the investigation of: (i) the use of active biocompounds from vegetable oils in the lowering of the body absorption of cholesterol in vitro through a cocristallization process, i.e, through the formation of organic alloys/solid solutions; (ii) the improvement of the cold flow behavior of biodiesel through the self-assembling of the systems' compounds and formation of microemulsions. The results could be used in the production of pharmaceuticals for hyperlipidemia, development of renewable fuels with lower crystallization point, and as a basis for similar problems in science and industry.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

HIJO, ARIEL A. C. TOLEDO; MAXIMO, GUILHERME J.; CUNHA, ROSIANE L.; FONSECA, FELIPE H. S.; CARDOSO, LISANDRO P.; PEREIRA, JORGE F. B.; COSTA, MARIANA C.; BATISTA, EDUARDO A. C.; MEIRELLES, ANTONIO J. A.. Phase equilibrium and physical properties of biobased ionic liquid mixtures. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, v. 20, n. 9, p. 6469-6479, MAR 7 2018. (16/08566-1, 16/24461-5, 14/16424-7, 12/05027-1, 14/03992-7, 14/21252-0)

TOLEDO HIJO, ARIEL A. C.; MAXIMO, GUILHERME J.; COSTA, MARIANA C.; CUNHA, ROSIANE L.; PEREIRA, JORGE F. B.; KURNIA, KIKI A.; BATISTA, EDUARDO A. C.; MEIRELLES, ANTONIO J. A.. Phase Behavior and Physical Properties of New Biobased Ionic Liquid Crystals. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, v. 121, n. 14, p. 3177-3189, APR 13 2017. (14/16424-7, 14/21252-0, 12/05027-1, 16/08566-1, 14/03992-7)

TOLEDO HIJO, ARIEL A. C.; MAXIMO, GUILHERME J.; COSTA, MARIANA C.; BATISTA, EDUARDO A. C.; MEIRELLES, ANTONIO J. A.. Applications of Ionic Liquids in the Food and Bioproducts Industries. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING, v. 4, n. 10, p. 5347-5369, OCT 2016. (14/03992-7, 12/05027-1)