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Abstract: Multivariate calibration (PLS), principal components analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), associated to synchronous spectrofluorimetry, were used to identify and quantify non-transesterified residual vegetable oil in diesel oil with the addition of 2% of biodiesel (B2). The addition of residual oil, one of the easiest ways of adultering fuel, damages engines and leads to tax evasion. Using this method, the samples of diesel oil, B2, and B2 contaminated with residual oil were classified correctly and separated into three well-defined groups. The quantification of residual oil in B2 was carried out in the 0–25% (w/w) band, RMSEC and RMSEP values ranging from 0.26 to 0.48% (w/w) and 1.6–2.6% (w/w), respectively. The method is highly sensitive and efficient to identify and quantify this type of adulterant in which 100% of the samples were correctly classified and the average relative error was approximately 4% in the range 0.5–25% (w/w). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Activated carbons (AC) were prepared by physical activation of charcoal. • By the first time, industrial carbonization gases (CG) were used for activation. • Carbons activated with CG and pure CO2 presented similar adsorption performance. • Their adsorption properties met the specifications for water treatment. • The use of GC has the potential of reducing the costs of the AC industrial production. By the first time, non-condensable gases generated at high temperature during wood carbonization in an industrial furnace were used as the activating agent for the preparation of activated carbon. The charcoal obtained from the carbonization step was employed as the starting material for the activation tests. Besides creating an application for these gases, the developed methodology is important to reduce costs related to the acquisition and heating of another activating agent. In addition to the production of activated carbons by itself, efforts were also focused on understanding how the presence of O 2 influences the performance of the activating mixture. The use of carbonization gases as activating agent permitted to obtain adsorbents with similar pore morphologies (evaluated through N 2 adsorption/desorption isotherms at 77 K) and adsorption capacities (iodine, phenol, and methylene blue) as those obtained by conventional activation with pure CO 2 , even though the process yield was lower. Activated carbons that met the specifications of Brazilian and international standards for application in water treatment were achieved with acceptable yields (in the order of 50%). The proposed integrated route implies technological, environmental, and economic gains for different industrial sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drop-in fuels have attracted great interest for automotive and aeronautical use. In this work, bio-hydrocarbons were obtained from palm kernel oil (palmist oil) within the distillation range of diesel and jet fuel. Green fuels were produced through the hydrodeoxygenation of palmist fat and its hydrolyzed product by using Pd/C as a catalyst. The process is efficient for hydrodeoxygenation with conversions of up to 96% after 5 h of reaction, at 10 bar of H 2 pressure and 300 °C, which are mild conditions compared with the majority of the processes described in the literature. The hydroprocessing products were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The freezing temperatures of the biofuels were determined by DSC. Up to 5% deoxygenation products can be used in commercial jet fuel without compromising the cold fuel properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Crude and hydrolyzed macauba oils were used as feedstock to obtain biohydrocarbons. • Different zeolites (HBeta and HZSM5) without nobel metals were tested as catalyst. • Calcination time and reaction atmosphere influenced significantly in conversions. • Hydrolyzed pulp oil were 100% deoxygenated over Beta zeolite, 3 h, 350 °C, 10 bar H 2. • Saturated compounds (pentadecane) and aromatics (xylenes) are the main hydrocarbons. In line with the aim to minimize climate change and dependence on fossil fuels, there is an increasing demand from different transport sectors for non-oxygenated and low-cost biofuels. In this study, bio-hydrocarbons were synthesized from macauba oils, which is a new and promising biofuel feedstock. These fatty materials were subjected to deoxygenation reactions over beta zeolite and ZSM-5 catalysts with different acidities (Si/Al ratio). Other parameters such as the reaction atmosphere (N 2 or H 2), catalyst calcination time, feedstock composition, and reaction time were also investigated. A preliminary study of the deoxygenation reaction kinetics indicated a higher conversion rate of hydrocarbons using beta zeolite, achieving a conversion of 100% in 3 h. The products were categorized into different compounds classes, such as linear, cyclic, branched, and aromatic hydrocarbons. The longer calcination time of the non-noble metal catalyst (15 h) and the use of hydrogen resulted in a high degree of deoxygenation. A higher percentage of hydrocarbons was obtained using an already hydrolyzed macauba pulp oil, with high initial acidity (38% m/m), and 10 bar H 2. This feedstock and the innovative process provide low-cost alternatives to produce drop-in biofuels on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]