In the present work was to study the thermal catalytic cracking process palm oil for biofuel production. In the development of this study were performed in crackings Bench and Semipilot. Initially, basic catalysts in cracking tests were performed (Red Mud; Red Mud Calcined at 550 ° C; Red Mud Calcined at 800C; Red Mud Calcined at 1000 ° C; Activated Alumina (AA) with NaOH 20% solution and Activated Alumina (AA) NaOH solution 30%) and acid (not activated alumina) in bench scale using as raw palm oil. Before the mentioned catalysts are used in thermal catalytics crackings, they were subjected to the following tests: Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR); Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM); X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and BET in order to characterize them. The results of the bench scale showed that the cracked products Gross (PCB's) achieved in thermal catalytics oil crackings using as a catalyst 15% Red Mud Calcined at 800 ° C and 15% AA by NaOH 20% solution, had a significant reduction in their Acidity Index (IA's) compared to the IA's of heat and thermal catalytics crackings used with other catalysts. In Semipilot Scale the thermal catalytics crackings were developed with the best results obtained, Bench Scale, between the Red Mud’s Calcined or not in different concentrations (15% of Red Mud Calcined 800 ° C) and between the Activated Aluminas or not at various concentrations (AA with 15% NaOH solution at 20%) compared to IA's, in addition to the thermal cracking which was also reproduced on the scale. Some of the products obtained in Semipilot Scale was submitted to distillation in Bench Scale to obtain fractions corresponding to the tracks: gasoline, kerosene, light diesel and heavy diesel. The RMN analysis of 13C, held on the heat crackings and diesel thermal catalytic with 15% Red Mud Calcined at 800 °C proves that they are basically formed from long chain fatty acids. Moreover, the GC-MS performed in the cut of gasoline range (40 °C- 175 °C) showed that the three gasolines analyzed showed the formation of paraffinic hydrocarbons, olefinic and naphthenic.
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