Banca de DEFESA: THAMIRIS MONTEIRO DE BARROS

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : THAMIRIS MONTEIRO DE BARROS
DATE: 25/04/2025
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Auditório do NUPPRAR
TITLE:

POTENTIAL PRODUCTION OF DROP-IN BIOFUELS USING BIOMASS DERIVED FROM TROPICAL ALMONDS THROUGH THERMOCATALYTIC CONVERSION.

KEY WORDS:

Terminalia catappa Linn; tropical almond; biofuel; catalysis; pyrolysis

PAGES: 112
BIG AREA: Ciências Exatas e da Terra
AREA: Química
SUBÁREA: Físico-Química
SPECIALTY: Cinética Química e Catálise
SUMMARY:

The tropical almond, the fruit of “amendoeira-da-praia” (Terminalia catappa Linn), is underutilized for consumption and commercialization despite its widespread occurrence across much of Brazil. Its kernel is rich in lipids, making it a potential raw material for the production of drop-in biofuels, which have a composition similar to fossil fuels and can therefore be seamlessly integrated into existing infrastructure and logistics. Thus, this study investigated the thermochemical conversion of oil extracted from tropical almond kernels (OSC) into bio-oil using catalysts such as niobium phosphate (NbOPO₄), gamma-alumina (γ-Al₂O₃), and niobium-supported gamma-alumina (Nb/γ-Al₂O₃), as well as the production of biochar from tropical almond biomass and extraction cake via pyrolysis. The OSC was extracted in cycles of up to 8 hours using n-hexane in a Soxhlet apparatus and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG), free fatty acid (FFA), acidity, moisture, density, and kinematic viscosity at 40 °C. To determine the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the reaction, TGA/DTG curves were obtained within the temperature range of 30–600 °C at different heating rates (10, 20, 30, and 40 °C/min) using the isoconversional methods of Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW). The pyrolysis of OSC, both with and without catalysts, was conducted at temperatures ranging from 350-525 °C, heating rates of 5–60 °C/min, and residence times of 5–10 minutes. The kinetic study revealed an average activation energy of 154.9 kJ/mol (OFW) and 174.7 kJ/mol (KAS) for pure OSC, which decreased with the use of catalysts, particularly NbOPO₄, to 109.6 kJ/mol and 125.7 kJ/mol (OFW and KAS, respectively), indicating higher catalytic activity. Additionally, the pyrolysis reaction was found to be endothermic, irreversible, and non-spontaneous. From various pyrolysis reactions of OSC, bio-oil yields of up to 80% were obtained, with hydrocarbon selectivity reaching up to 18%. In catalytic tests, bio-oil yields varied between 63–72%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the catalysts and the potential of OSC for obtaining C15 and C17 hydrocarbons via pyrolysis. The tropical almond-derived biochars were also produced with high efficiency and thermal stability, particularly from tropical almond shells (PCS), highlighting the potential of this biomass for obtaining materials with diverse applications.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2140818 - AMANDA DUARTE GONDIM
Externa à Instituição - ARUZZA MABEL DE MORAIS ARAUJO - UFRN
Externa à Instituição - EDJANE FABIULA BURITI DA SILVA - UFRN
Externa à Instituição - NATALY ALBUQUERQUE DOS SANTOS - UFPB
Interno - 2087667 - TIAGO PINHEIRO BRAGA