TITLE:
Prediction of Concentration of Animal Fat in Mixture with Vegetable Oil by Multivariate Calibration Associated with Spectrofluorimetry
AUTHORS:
Marilena Meira, Cristina M. Quintella, Erika M. de O. Ribeiro, Alexandre K. Guimarães, Mariana Andrade Santos, Gabriela Silva Cerqueira, Alexandre Lopes Del Cid, Saionara Luna, Weidson Leal Silva
KEYWORDS:
Biodiesel; Vegetable Oil; Animal Fat; Spectrofluorimetry; PLS
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Analytical Chemistry,
Vol.4 No.2,
February
27,
2013
ABSTRACT: Total spectrofluorimetry associated with Principal
Component Analysis (PCA) was used to discriminate samples of vegetable oil and
animal fat. In addition, a multivariate calibration model was developed that
combines spectroflurimetry with Partial Least Squares (PLS) for prediction of concentration of animal fat in
mixture with vegetable oil. The multivariate calibration model had an R2 value of 0.98098, which
indicates the accuracy of the model. This method has potential application in
the control of quality of raw material for production of biodiesel. The control
of the concentration of animal fat is important because animal fat is more
susceptible to oxidation than vegetable oil. Furthermore, high concentrations
of animal fats may increase electricity costs for biodiesel production due to
the high melting points of saturated fats that solidify at room temperature and
cause the fouling and clogging of pipes.