Development of analytical method for iron voltammetric analysis in ethylic hydrated fuel alcohol by using amalgam electrodes.

• Grant number: 10/15274-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2010
• End date: October 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Jeosadaque José de Sene
• Grantee: Bruna Durigan
• Host Institution: Centro Universitário da Fundação Educacional de Barretos (UNIFEB). Fundação Educacional de Barretos (FEBA). Barretos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Ethylic fuel alcohol, both hydrated and anhydrous, has been used in Brazil as an alternative to fossil fuel since 1970 decade when Proalcool was created. This government action took advantage of the large areas available to cultivate sugar cane and has led the way to establish the greatest car fleet in the world equipped with flex fuel technology by which the consumer has the choice of using alcohol or gasoline. Since creation of Proalcool, production and domestic consume of alcohol have been growing systematically with an increase of interest of other countries for the Brazilian technology. Besides its economical and environmental advantages, the fuel alcohol requires a rigorous quality control to sustain its green status of renewable fuel. Heavy metals are of great concern due to their potential for causing pollution problems as well as for diminishing the efficiency of engines and also the lifetime of machinery. Most of these metals are originated from sugar cane itself, from chemicals used during manufacturing and also from transportation. Taking that into consideration, this proposal deals with the development of a new electroanalytical method to detect and quantify iron ions in ethylic hydrated fuel alcohol. For that purpose an electrode based on mercury-silver amalgam will be constructed and characterized using voltammetric methods of analysis. Results obtained by using the best conditions of the electrode will be compared with the atomic absorption spectrophotometry official method adopted by Agencia Nacional do Petróleo (ANP).