Gondim, Amanda DuarteBrito, Ingrid Nayara de Medeiros2025-02-132025-02-132024-12-13BRITO, Ingrid Nayara de Medeiros. CONVERSÃO TÉRMICA DO ÓLEO DE MILHO DE DESTILARIA A PARTIR DE CATALISADORES MESOPOROSOS. 2024. 78f. Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (Graduação em Química do Petróleo), Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Terra, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 2024.https://repositorio.ufrn.br/handle/123456789/62684Given the environmental impacts caused by fossil fuels, it is crucial to invest in the production of renewable energy and biofuels in order to contribute to a more sustainable future. When it comes to the use of biomass for conversion into biofuels, distillers corn oil (DCO) stands out as a promising energy source due to its excellent energy value. Recovered as a byproduct of ethanol production from corn, DCO contains fatty acids and esters, which can be converted into renewable hydrocarbons through several processes. Niobium (Nb) and alumina-based catalysts are considered efficient for the conversion of vegetable oils, offering high catalytic activity. This work focuses on the study of the thermal conversion of DCO, using the catalysts γ-Al2O3, Nb/γ-Al2O3 and NbOPO4. Previously, the physicochemical properties of DCO, such as acid value, saponification value, density at 15 °C, kinematic viscosity at 40 °C, Karl Fischer moisture content, and upper calorific value, were determined in order to confirm the characteristics of the raw material. Then, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA/DTG) of DCO was performed to evaluate its thermal decomposition. In addition, Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was performed, identifying and quantifying the fatty acids that constitute DCO, present in the form of esters. To confirm the composition and crystalline structure of the catalysts, characterization techniques were performed, including X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), mainly confirming the indication of materials with amorphous characteristics. The kinetic study of the different catalysts in contact with the oil was carried out at temperature rates of 10, 20, 30 and 40 °C/min in order to evaluate the catalytic activity of each one. A comparative evaluation of the OFW and KAS kinetic models was performed, which presented similarity in the linear adjustments of both. The methods employed revealed that the use of the catalysts resulted in a significant reduction in the energy required for the reactions to occur. It was possible to observe that the catalysts provide lower activation energies compared to the uncatalyzed process. However, the Nb catalysts demonstrated a considerably lower activation energy compared to γ-Al2O3, with an average difference of approximately 50 kJ.mol-1 between them, thus demonstrating better catalytic activity.Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Brazilhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/br/Óleo de milho de destilariaCatalisadores mesoporososConversão térmicaAnálise termocatalíticaEstudo cinéticoQuímicabachelorThesisCNPQ::CIENCIAS EXATAS E DA TERRA