The shortage of electricity is a major reason for the low Human Development Index of isolated communities located in the Amazon basin. The biodiesel produced from vegetable oils extracted from oil seeds native species, in a sustainable way, is one of the best alternative energy for the region. The “tucumã of amazonas”, Astrocaryum aculeatum, is an Amazon palm tree that produces a much appreciated fruit in the region, from which it obtains kernels that have high content in oil. In this study, we evaluated the production of ethyl biodiesel, from different batches of oil obtained from “tucumã of amazonas” kernels with high and low acidity by the transesterification process acidic and basic catalysis, respectively. Different acid catalysts (HCl and H2SO4) and concentrations of each acid (from 0.0625 to 1.000 M) were tested, with ethanol at molar ratio of 1:6 at 90º C for 24 h. In the basic catalysis, NaOH and KOH were tested at the concentration range of 0.5 to 2.0 % with anhydrous ethanol with molar ratio 1:12 and the reactions took place at 80º C for 2 h. The conversion into biodiesel and its quality was analyzed by means reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and specific gravity. Chromatographic analysis indicated that the best conversions were achieved by samples of biodiesel with lowest specific gravity (0.87 g.cm-1). The samples of biodiesel with best quality were obtained with acid catalysis at 1.0 M with yield above 90 %. In the basic catalysis, it could be obtained biodiesel with good quality with NaOH at 2.0 %, but at lower yields. However in both types of catalysis, it was possible to identify an excellent potential for the production of this important biofuel from tucumã kernel oil.
Sustaintability; Arecaceae; Energy; Amazon
