Olfactory profile in biofuel synthesis from waste cooking oil (WCO)

• Grant number: 19/21641-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2020
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Ana Lúcia Gabas
• Grantee: Isabella Tonani Montanhez
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Currently, in Brazil 40% of its energy matrix is generated with renewable energy sources, especially sugar cane products and biofuels. Considering Brazil's world-leading strategy for biofuel production, use and commercialization, it is expected that there will be exponential growth in production in the next years. This project aims to contribute to the development of a classification methodology for biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil (WCO), proven by frying foods. In this way, an olfactory profile will be used to classify biodiesel in relation to its main quality values (ester content, viscosity, density, acidity, color and water content) and its different production routes and, consequently, the purification processes. A WCO characterization will also be performed by analyzing acidity index, color, peroxide, viscosity and density. This research is part of a larger project, funded by FAPESP (Proc. 2018 / 16156-3) whose objective is the use of biodiesel from different WCO ranges by different routes, which are correlated with quality indicators of this biofuel. This work allows the optimization of the biodiesel production process, reducing the analysis progress and without the need to use sophisticated and expensive equipment. (AU)