Macauba Palm Research Articles

Actual and putative potentials of macauba palm as feedstock for solid biofuel production from residues

The making of biofuel from source that aggregates multiple suitable raw materials is of great interest. An example of such source is macauba palm. Its fruit satisfies the demands for biodiesel production, and the solid residues resulting from its processing contain a series of potential fuel byproducts. Thus, our objective was to evaluate macauba fruit yield and the potential of this fruit to produce for solid biofuel. For this, the palm's productivity was assessed in a natural population, and two different scenarios of fruit yield and derived residues were analyzed: in scenario 1, the fruit yield average values were used without a priori information, while in scenario 2, the top 10% of plants in terms of number of bunch per plant were considered. Harvested fruits were quantified and processed. Solid residues had their chemical and physical characteristics determined. The fruit yield in scenario 2 was 98% higher than that in scenario 1, which did not exceed 2.32 Gg km−2 y−1 fresh fruit. Regarding residue characterization, the endocarp showed higher values of fixed carbon, lignin, bulk density and energy density than the other residues. The overall primary energies of the residues were 23.35 TJ km−2 y−1 and 44.39 TJ km−2 y−1 in scenarios 1 and 2, respectively. These findings indicate that macauba fruit is a promising source of primary and residual raw materials for biofuel production. Satisfactory production scale would be from a breeding program to maximize the fruit production of the plants, as mimicked by scenario 2.

Good practices of harvest and processing provide high quality Macauba pulp oil

Macauba or macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata) has great potential for oil production in tropical American biomes. This work aimed to describe a full set of procedures to obtain high quality crude and refined pulp oil. Crude oil was extracted by forced pressing of dried, mechanically pulped fruits that were collected directly from the bunch at ripening stage. The preliminary refining process sequentially encompassed degumming, neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization. Identity and quality parameters (fatty acid composition, peroxide value, molar absorptivity at 232 and 270 nm, moisture, refractive index, saponification index, unsaponifiable matter, color, total carotenoids, and solid fat content) were determined in all steps. Crude and refined oils presented about 64% of monounsaturated acids (oleic acid) and 26% saturated acids (mostly palmitic acid). Oil composition and physicochemical characteristics were maintained after refining, rendering high quality oil, suitable for multipurpose employments, such as food processing and biodiesel production.Practical applications: Macauba palm is a widespread and high‐yield oil bearing fruit from tropical America that is being domesticated in Brazil. A whole processing of the pulp oil, including fruits from harvest and postharvest, was developed at lab scale to render suitable oil for food and biofuels usages. Going forward, the procedures could be scaled up and the cost effectiveness must be evaluated. The rendered crude and refined oils showed low acidity implying that the synthesis of biodiesel by the traditional and most used alkaline transesterification route is suitable for this raw material. Macauba pulp oil features a high amount of oleic acid, which is a desirable characteristic for the food and biofuel sectors because of the stability against oxidation provided by the monounsaturated fatty acids. The composition of fatty acids, potentially allows the generation of two fractions, olein and stearin, which broads its usages.Good practices of harvesting, processing fruits, and refining, resulted in high oleic quality macauba pulp oil that complies with most standard requirements for crude and refined edible oils.

Prediction of oil content in the mesocarp of fruit from the macauba palm using spectrometry1

In the present work a model was developed for the prediction of the oil content of the mesocarp of fruit from the macauba palm, using visible and near infrared spectrometry. Reference values were determined the by Soxhlet method. The model was calibrated using spectral data from the mesocarp of macauba fruit by partial least squares regression, considering nine latent variables. The results of the calibration series were consistent with those of the validation series, registering an The coefficient of determination between the reference method and the developed model, systematic error between the predicted values and the measured values and root mean square error, for calibration and validation with independent data, respectively, equal to 0.8223, -9.2-14 and 5.917 and 0.7760, 7.081 and -0.064. VIS-NIR spectroscopy is a viable tool in the evaluation of genotypes in breeding programs for the macauba palm.

Macauba palm (Acrocomia aculeata) cake from biodiesel processing: An efficient and low cost substrate for the adsorption of dyes

The potential of natural and heat-treated Macauba palm cake as adsorbent for the removal of Methylene Blue (MB) and Congo Red (CR) from solution has been investigated. Equilibrium adsorption was attained in <7h and the process was favored at pH 5.0 for MB and pH 6.5 for CR with an adsorbent (g):adsorbate (mL) ratio of 1:200 and an initial concentration of adsorbate of 25mgL−1. The maximum adsorption capacities of the natural and heat-treated materials were, respectively, 25.80 and 32.30mgg−1 for MB, and 32.00 and 20.30mgg−1 for CR. The isotherm model proposed by Sips represented most adequately the adsorption of MB and CR. The adsorptions of the dyes were best described in terms of a pseudo second-order reaction. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔHo, ΔSo and ΔGo were calculated. The adsorption process was found to be endothermic and spontaneous. Macauba palm cake is adequate for the removal of waste dye from industrial effluents by virtue of its abundance, low cost and efficiency of adsorption.

DEVELOPMENT AND SIMULATION OF A NEW OIL EXTRACTION PROCESS FROM FRUIT OF MACAUBA PALM TREE

ABSTRACTSoybean and palm are the main sources of oil in the world. However, there are other unexploited oleaginous species, such as the Macauba palm tree, which occurs naturally in several regions of Latin America, especially in Brazil. The Macauba produces an oleaginous fruit with high aggregated value, whose potential for productivity can reach 6,000 kg of oil per hectare, including two differentiated oils: unsaturated pulp and saturated kernel. Nevertheless, the extraction of both oils has been carried out in low technological ways, compared with optimized industrial processes, despite its socioeconomic and environmental benefits, considering food, pharmaceutical and biofuel purposes. The goal of this work was to propose an industrial process of oil extraction from Macauba fruit using experimental and project data information from laboratory, literature and equipment suppliers. With the consolidated route, the process simulation was successfully performed using the Aspen Plus simulator.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThis work contributes to a new agro‐industrial sector from Macauba palm trees. All the parts of the Macauba fruit provide products with economic value. The external shell and the pulp generate the pulp oil and cake. The kernel generates kernel oil and cake. The pulp oil contains 80% of unsaturated fatty acids, with 65–70% oleic acid. The kernel oil contains about 60% saturated fatty acids (40% lauric acid, 30% oleic acid). Pulp oil is strongly suggested for food or fuel purposes. Kernel oil is an expensive raw material used for food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical purposes. The cake from pulp and kernel is used as animal feed, especially because the protein content of kernel cake is 37%. Both cakes are also used as fertilizer or fuel for boilers. The hard endocarp contains a high calorific value with potential for vegetable charcoal with low ash, no sulfur and high density.

Reproductive Biology of the Palm Acrocomia aculeata in Central Brazil

Phenology, floral biology, the reproductive system, and pollination of the macauba palm, Acrocomia aculeata were studied in Central Brazil. The species is arborescent, single-stemmed, and reaches heights of up to 16 m. Flowering occurs between August and December, peaking between October and November. Fruit fall (harvest) is between June and March, with a peak in November. Inflorescences are androgynous with marked protogyny. The basic pollination syndrome is by beetles, with wind playing a secondary role. The principal pollinators are Andranthobius sp. (Curculionidae), Mystrops cf mexicana (Nitidulidae) and Cyclocephala forsteri (Scarabaeidae). Cross-pollination between different individuals (xenogamy) accounts for most of the reproductive system. However, the species is self-compatible, with geitonogamy accounting for a significant percentage of fruit set. The combination of two pollination strategies (wind and insects) with a flexible reproductive system (crossand self-pollination) suggests that A. aculeata can be highly successful in the colonization of new areas, as is evidenced by the ample distribution of species in the Neotropics.