DETERMINAÇÃO DE BIODIESEL METÍLICO DE DENDÊ EM MISTURAS COM DIESEL UTILIZANDO A RESOLUÇÃO MULTIVARIADA DE CURVAS COM MÍNIMOS QUADRADOS ALTERNADOS

DETERMINATION OF PALM METHYL BIODIESEL IN DIESEL BLENDS USING MULTIVARIATE CURVE RESOLUTION WITH ALTERNATING LEAST SQUARES. The increase in the average temperature of the Earth due to excess CO2 and other greenhouse gases has caused glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise. The burning of fossil fuels is one of the main causes of this problem, so the use of biofuels is important for mitigating this environmental impact. In Brazil, biodiesel is mixed with mineral; however, irregularities have been detected, reducing the expected positive effects. Therefore, this study proposes the use of multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) to quantify the content of methyl palm oil biodiesel in diesel blends and determine the concentration of the adulterant automotive lubricating oil in the blend. The model for quantifying biodiesel in diesel obtained R2 = 0.9997, root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) = 0.56% (v v-1) and prediction (RMSEP) = 0.65% (v v-1), while the determination of adulteration in the biodiesel-diesel blend showed RMSEC = 0.67% (v v-1), RMSEP = 0.81% (v v-1) and R2 = 0.9992. These results demonstrate the ability of the models developed to predict both the content and quantity of possible adulterants in blends of palm oil biodiesel and mineral diesel, contributing to the quality control of this fuel.