In this work, the operational variables involved on the separation processes applied on the pre-treatment of crude palm oil (guineensis Elaeis, jacq) , as well as on the purification of biodiesel, produced by transesterification with ethanol and using NaOH as catalyst, have been investigated systematically in laboratory scale. In the pre-treatment step, the processes of Filtration and Decantation have been investigated, being the filtration of the product, carried out by neutralization at 40ºC, 50ºC and 60ºC, whereas by Decantation, it had been evaluated the temperatures of 40ºC and 60ºC in 120 minutes. After that, it was investigated the influence of the time of decantation by 60, 90 and 120 minutes on the water washing process of the neutralized oil at 40ºC and 60ºC, followed by dehydration under vacuum at 80ºC, having been investigated in this stage the influence of the pressure. After the production of biodiesel, it had been evaluated the process of Evaporation of ethanol in excess, whereas in a first step, it had been investigated the temperatures of 70 and 80 ºC, maintaining the evaporation time constant and equal to 20 minutes, within the interval of 613,30 and 80,0 mbar, and in a second step, it had been investigated the system pressures of 480,00 and 346,60 mbar. After that, it had been investigated the influence of time on the decantation process of the glycerol rich phase at 70ºC, for times of 60, 120 and 180 minutes. Afterwards, the ester rich phase has been submitted to water washing at 70ºC, for the times of 60, 90 and 120 minutes. After that, it was evaluated the efficiency of the process of centrifugation of the mixture biodiesel and glycerol at 60 and 70ºC, 2000 rpm, and a time of 15 minutes. After that, the ester rich phase has been washed with water at 60 and 70ºC, being the separation carried out by centrifugation at 60 and 70ºC. The ester rich phases, obtained by decantation and centrifugation have been submitted to dehydration under vacuum, and characterized according to the specifications of the ANP. In accordance with the experimental results, on the basis of the quality of neutral oil and process yield, it has been observed that the Filtration at 50ºC produced the best results. In relation to the evaporation of ethanol, the higher ethanol recovery was obtained by 80ºC and 346.6 mbar. In relation the separation of ester and glycerol rich phases, the process of centrifugation at 60ºC produced a biodiesel of better quality and higher yield. It was still observed, the necessity of one second step of centrifugation to minimize the losses of biodiesel in the rich phase in glycerol.
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