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Residual oil from babassu (Orbignya sp.), a low-cost raw material, was used in the enzymatic esterification for biodiesel production, using lipase B from Candida antarctica (Novozym® 435) and ethanol. For the first time in the literature, residual babassu oil and Novozym® 435 are being investigated to obtain biodiesel. In this communication, response surface methodology (RSM) and a central composite design (CCD) were used to optimize the esterification and study the effects of four factors (molar ratio (1:1–1:16, free fatty acids (FFAs) /alcohol), temperature (30–50 °C), biocatalyst content (0.05–0.15 g) and reaction time (2–6 h)) in the conversion into fatty acid ethyl esters. Under optimized conditions (1:18 molar ratio (FFAs/alcohol), 0.14 g of Novozym® 435, 48 °C and 4 h), the conversion into ethyl esters was 96.8%. It was found that after 10 consecutive cycles of esterification under optimal conditions, Novozym® 435 showed a maximum loss of activity of 5.8%, suggesting a very small change in the support/enzyme ratio proved by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and insignificant changes in the surface of Novozym® 435 proved by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after the 10 consecutive cycles of esterification.

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This study examined the influence of hydrogenation and antioxidant activity of natural products derived from Mangifera indica on soybean biodiesel stability. Biodiesels were prepared with refined, semi‐refined, and partially hydrogenated soybean oil and the stability was evaluated in a Rancimat apparatus. The biodiesel from partially hydrogenated soybean oil showed greater stability (11.9 h), exceeding the standard limit established by the Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (6 h). Gallic acid, tannic acid, and mango seed kernel extract were evaluated as antioxidants. The gallic acid showed higher antioxidant ability than the other products, increasing twofold the oxidative stability (20.8 h). The results indicate the importance of mango seed as a source of efficient antioxidants for biodiesel just like gallic acid.Practical applications: The results provide detailed information about: (i) the influence of hydrogenation on soybean biodiesel stability; (ii) the antioxidant activity of natural products derived from M. indica; (iii) and the importance of each phenolic constituent on the stability. Mango seed is an abundant waste product from fruit juice industry in Brazil and could be used for obtaining an effective antioxidant additive for biodiesel.

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Fish farming is a worldwide growing activity and a large amount of residues is produced in this process. The present work describes a cleaner and sustainable way to produce new lubricants from fish waste oil. Oil extracted from the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) viscera was utilized as raw material to produce basic oil for lubricants. The products were synthesized by esterification with polyols, trimethylolpropane (TMP) and pentaerythritol (PE), using p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) as catalyst. The synthesized esters were characterized by infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Computational methods were used to predict the physical characteristics of the material. In addition, the main physicochemical properties were evaluated, as well as the thermal behavior and toxicity of the products against Artemia salina. The synthesized esters showed high viscosity indexes (VI > 150) and viscosities that fit the degree of application ISO-46 and 150. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that at room temperature the lubricants Tilapia fatty acid -trimethylolpropane ester (T-TMPE) and Tilapia fatty acid -pentaerythritol ester (T-PEE) are in liquid and gel states, respectively, confirming the experimental data. The products did not present toxicity against A. salina. In this research, we reinforce the potential of using tilapia oil from waste to produce green lubricants as a strategy to reduce damage to the environment, as well as the use of computational methods that collaborate to predict physical properties of lubricants.

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