Evaluation of the Tung´s fruits as a possible source of sustainable energy

Resumo

 Tung´s fruits (Aleurites fordii) produce oil of great applicability in the market of painting and covering due to its drying characteristics. Tung´s oil may be an alternative for the production of new biofuels. In this study, it was evaluated the energetic potential of the fruit, oil and biodiesel obtained from the Tung. The average yielding of the extracted seed oil was 50.6%, a value similar to those presented in literature. Moreover, its density presented a value of 931.5 g L^-1 and its acid index, 4.5 mg KOH g^-1. In the last step of this study, biodiesel was produced by basic methyl route using potassium hydroxide. The specific mass of the produced biodiesel was 909.2 kg m^-3 at 20°C; its acid index was 0.473 mg KOH g^-1 and its flash point was 178°C. The values of heating values in natura and the low level of ashes in the residual biomass makes the Tung´s fruits a promising renewable clean source of energy of second generation fuel.