Volatile Compounds Obtained by the Hydrodistillation of Sugarcane Vinasse, a Residue from Ethanol Production

Luís Carlos Scalon Cunha; Ana Virgínia Arantes Lima; Mariana Aparecida Sousa Barbosa; Sérgio Antônio Lemos de Morais; Francisco José Torres de Aquino; Roberto Chang; Evandro Afonso do Nascimento

Autores

Luís Carlos Scalon Cunha Instituto Federal do Triângulo Mineiro
Ana Virgínia Arantes Lima Universidade de Uberaba
Mariana Aparecida Sousa Barbosa Instituto Federal do Triângulo Mineiro
Sérgio Antônio Lemos de Morais Universidade Federal de Uberlândia
Francisco José Torres de Aquino Universidade Federal de Uberlândia
Roberto Chang Universidade Federal de Uberlândia
Evandro Afonso do Nascimento Universidade Federal de Uberlândia

Palavras-chave:

Sugarcane vinasse, volatiles, ethanol production, GC-MS.

Resumo

Sugarcane vinasse is the main by-product from ethanol production industries. Generated in large quantities, it is composed by water, inorganic and organic compounds and is extensively used as fertiliser in agriculture, promoting improvements in soil quality and crop yield. However, it has high pollution potential, as the high concentration of organic matter can lead to contamination of the soil and water, in addition to the risk of leaching of the mineral components. In the current study, the volatile components of vinasse were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus, then analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A waxy material was obtained, and the GC-MS analysis indicated that vinasse is rich in fatty acids, alcohols and esters. The major components were phenylethyl alcohol (22.28%), myristic acid (17.45%), palmitic acid (15.81%), ethyl palmitate (8.99%) and hexadecanol (6.06%).