In Situ Transesterification of Microbial Biomass for Biolubricant Production Catalyzed by Heteropolyacid Supported on Niobium

Savienne M. F. E. Zorn, Ana Paula T. da Silva, Eduardo H. Bredda, Heitor B. S. Bento, Guilherme A. Pedro, Ana Karine F. Carvalho, Messias Borges Silva and Patrícia C. M. Da Rós
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Savienne M. F. E. Zorn: Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena 12602-810, Brazil
Ana Paula T. da Silva: Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena 12602-810, Brazil
Eduardo H. Bredda: Engineering Faculty of Guaratinguetá, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Guaratinguetá 12516-410, Brazil
Heitor B. S. Bento: Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil
Guilherme A. Pedro: Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena 12602-810, Brazil
Ana Karine F. Carvalho: Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena 12602-810, Brazil
Messias Borges Silva: Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena 12602-810, Brazil
Patrícia C. M. Da Rós: Engineering School of Lorena, University of São Paulo, Lorena 12602-810, Brazil

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: Lubricants are substances of the foremost importance in the modern world, as they are essential to the proper functioning of various mechanisms. Most lubricants, however, are still made from petroleum fractions. I light of this, and due to various environmental problems, the search for feasible biolubricants has become essential. This study obtained biolubricants through the in situ transesterification of microbial biomass, containing at least 20 wt% of lipids. The following two distinct biomasses were evaluated: the marine microalgae, Dunaliella salina, and the consortium of microalgae-fungi, Scenedesmus obliquus and Mucor circinelloides. Microbial oil from both biomasses presented a fatty acid profile with high amounts of oleic acid. The oil of D. salina had a lower content of polyunsaturated fatty acids relative to the microbial consortium profile, which indicates that this is a good configuration for increasing biolubricant oxidation resistance. The catalyst used was a Keggin-structure heteropolyacid supported on niobium, H 3 PMo 12 O 40 /Nb 2 O 5 , activated at 150 °C, which had high transesterification yields, notwithstanding the feedstocks, which were rich in free fatty acids. The performed transesterification reactions resulted in excellent yields, up to 97.58% and 96.80%, for marine microalgae and the consortium, respectively, after 6 h at 250 °C, with 10 wt% of catalyst (related to the lipid amount). As such, the (H 3 PMo 12 O 40 /Nb 2 O 5 ) catalyst could become an attractive option for producing biolubricants from microbial biomass.

Keywords: biolubricant; H 3 PMo 12 O 40; microbial biomass; fusel oil; microalgae; consortium; Dunaliella salina; Scenedesmus obliquus; Mucor circinelloides (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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