Study of the variables that influence in situ transesterification reaction of desmodesmus SP

Resumo

In recent years, the cultivation of microalgae for biofuels production has been extensively studied. The ability of some species to accumulate lipids with fatty acid profiles makes them potential raw material for the production of biodiesel. However, the lipid extraction step for conventional production of microalgae oil involves high investments and cost of operation. In this way, in situ transesterification presents as an interesting alternative, using the alcohol as both reagent and solvent, eliminating the extraction step. In this work was proposed the study of in situ transesterification reaction of the biomass of Desmodesmus sp. for the biodiesel production. The effects of temperature, reaction time, alcohol volume and percentage of catalyst on the yield of fatty acid methyl esters were evaluated. The results showed that the reaction temperature parameter is the most significant in obtaining esters.