Characterization and kinetic study of sunflower oil and biodiesel

In this study, the physico-chemistry characterization and kinetic study of the thermal decomposition of sunflower oil and its biodiesel were carried out. Sunflower biodiesel was synthesized by the methanol route and basic homogeneous catalysis. The physicochemical characterization of the sunflower oil and biodiesel were performed according to standards set out in the ANP resolution, and both are in accordance to the specifications. The chromatographic analysis was obtained by GC-FID. The yield of conversion of 97.4 wt% of sunflower oil in methyl esters confirms the efficiency of the conversion of the fatty acids into esters. The thermal analysis was performed on a thermobalance, using heating rates of 5, 10, and 20 A degrees C min(-1). In these three rates, we observed a single well-defined step of mass loss that describes the volatilization and decomposition of the sunflower oil and the biodiesel. The kinetic study was performed using equations of approximation and integration methods such as Coats-Redfern, Van Krevelen, and Horowitz-Metzger. The kinetic parameters reaction order (n) and apparent activation energy (E (a)), obtained by applying these method were correlated.