Degree in Chemical Engineering from the State University of Maringá (1988), master's degree in Chemical Engineering (1992) and a DSc in Chemical Engineering (1996) from the Postgraduate Program in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (PEQ/COPPE/UFRJ), with a sandwich internship at the Institute of Chemical Technology of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (ITQ/UPV) - Spain. Currently an Associate Professor level C at Department of Chemical Engineering at the State University of Maringá (DEQ/UEM), and is part of the permanent faculty of the Postgraduate Programs in Chemical Engineering (PEQ/UEM) and in Bioenergy (PPB/UEM) of the State of Paraná - Brazil. Also, acts as coordinator of the Laboratories of Adsorption and Ion Exchange (LATI) and Heterogeneous Catalysis and Biodiesel (LCHBio) at DEQ/UEM.
EDUCATION
Bachelor in Chemical Engineering by State University of Maringa (1988), Master of Science at PEQ/COPE/UFRJ (1992) and Doctor of Science at PEQ/COPE/UFRJ (1996).
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Engineering, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Chemical Engineering, Catalysis
Optimization of in-situ transesterification of Scenedesmus acuminatus biomass for ethyl ester synthesis: Effects of temperature, solvent, and agitation on biodiesel yield and composition Kemely Bruna Zandonadi Ferriani Branco, Ana Caroline Raimundini Aranha, Emerson Barrios Mogollón, Elias Trevisan, Pedro Augusto Arroyo Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2026 This work investigates the optimization of in‐situ transesterification of Scenedesmus acuminatus biomass for the synthesis of ethyl esters, emphasizing the effects of temperature, solvent type, reaction time, and agitation on biodiesel yield and composition. The reactions were carried out using ethanol and hydrochloric acid as the catalytic system, with n‐hexane and chloroform as co‐solvents. The influence of each parameter was systematically evaluated to determine optimal conversion conditions. The maximum yield, 78.6 mg ethyl esters g −1 dry biomass, was obtained at 60°C after 90 min using n‐hexane under static conditions. The effect of agitation was solvent‐dependent. While it did not significantly enhance yields in the n‐hexane system, agitation improved both the final yield and reaction kinetics when chloroform was used as the co‐solvent. Chromatographic analysis revealed that the predominant ethyl esters were C16:0, C16:1, C18:2, and C18:3, indicating a predominance of unsaturated fatty acids. This composition is comparable to that of conventional feedstocks such as soybean and corn oils, suggesting favourable cold‐flow properties but lower oxidative stability. The results demonstrate that ethanol‐based in‐situ transesterification of S. acuminatus provides a sustainable, simplified, and high‐yield route for biodiesel production, reducing process steps and solvent demand relative to conventional extraction methods, reducing process steps by eliminating the need for a separate lipid extraction stage and lowering solvent demand through direct conversion within the biomass, as supported by the high yields achieved with a single reaction mixture and consistent with the efficiencies reported for similar in‐situ systems.
Esterification of free fatty acids (C8–C16) from coconut oil for bio-jet fuel precursor production using 12-tungstophosphoric acid supported on niobium pentoxide Oscar Goyeneche, Emerson Barrios Mogollón, Glaucio José Gomes, Ana Caroline Raimundini Aranha, Pedro Augusto Arroyo Biofuels Bioproducts and Biorefining, 2026 The growing demand for sustainable aviation fuels has driven the exploration of renewable alternatives to reduce dependence on fossil sources and mitigate environmental impacts. This study investigates the hydroesterification of vacuum‐distilled fatty acid fractions (150–190 and 195–220 °C at 0.1 bar) from coconut oil using 12‐tungstophosphoric acid supported on niobium pentoxide (TPA/Nb 2 O 5 ) as a heterogeneous catalyst. Catalyst characterization via X‐ray diffraction and N 2 physisorption revealed a transition to a hexagonal crystalline phase after calcination at 550 °C, with reduced Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area owing to structural reorganization at lower temperatures. Temperature‐programmed desorption of ammonia analysis confirmed predominant strong acid sites associated with Keggin ions, independent of calcination temperature. Catalytic performance was assessed by varying parameters such as catalyst loading, temperature, reaction time, and ethanol‐to‐fatty acid molar ratio in the ethyl esterification of distilled fatty acids and lauric acid (C12) as a model compound. Optimal conditions (15 wt% catalyst, 120 °C, 4 h, 1:11 m ratio) yielded 92 and 90% conversions for lauric acid and the 150–190 °C fraction, respectively. However, the 195–220 °C fraction showed lower reactivity owing to reduced C12 content. These findings highlight TPA/Nb 2 O 5 as a promising catalyst for producing bio‐kerosene from distilled coconut oil fractions, advancing green chemistry in biofuel synthesis.
Application of immobilized Burkholderia cepacia lipase on clay in the production of ethyl esters Deise Molinari, Edson Antonio da Silva, Ana Caroline Raimundini Aranha, Sirlei Marques Paschoal, Emerson Barrios Mogollón, et al. Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2025 The present work aimed to use commercial Spectrogel clay (type C) as a support for immobilizing Burkholderia cepacia lipase to produce ethyl esters. The highest yield in ethyl ester production was obtained under the following conditions: 1% water (kg kg−1 oil), oil‐to‐ethanol molar ratio of 1:3, and 15% immobilized biocatalyst (kg kg−1 oil). A kinetic assay was conducted under the optimal conditions obtained to validate the experiment, which already showed a high yield within 6 h (78.82 ± 2.28% for LBC‐ADS and 89.42 ± 2.65% for LBC‐CB) and reaction equilibrium in 18 h (84.76 ± 0.36% for LBC‐ADS and 98.05 ± 1.24% for LBC‐CB). Heterogeneity tests were conducted at 1 and 12 h of reaction to analyze the interaction between the support and the enzyme, showing that after the removal of the biocatalysts after 1 h of reaction, there was no significant release of enzymes into the reaction medium.
Application of Spectrogel clay as a support for immobilization of lipase from Burkholderia cepacia Deise Molinari, Edson Antonio da Silva, Ana Caroline Raimundini Aranha, Sirlei Marques Paschoal, Lucas Serra Martin, et al. Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2025 The interest in maximizing the production of ethyl esters in a sustainable way and with lower energy costs has increased the use of immobilized enzymes as catalysts. This study aimed to apply the commercial clay Spectrogel® as a support for the immobilization of lipase from Burkholderia cepacia by adsorption and covalent bonding methods. The immobilizations were carried out using a 23 factorial design to study the effects of the activity offered (U g−1), pH, and the molar concentration of the enzyme solution buffer (mol L−1) on the enzyme activity obtained (U g−1). From the statistical analysis of the results, the best conditions for immobilization were pH 7.0 and 0.1 mol L−1 for both tested immobilization methods, with the best offered activity being 5709 and 7600 U g−1. The activities obtained were 1219.81 ± 7.51 and 1274.89 ± 14.99 U g−1 for adsorption and covalent bonding, respectively. The biocatalysts exhibited protein leaching of 33.55 ± 1.08% and 19.44 ± 2.43% when immobilized by adsorption and covalent bonding, respectively. The optimal activity temperature and thermal stability were obtained at 40°C. Additionally, the immobilization of lipase in Spectrogel® by both methods was efficient, showing higher thermal stability than the free enzyme. Thus, this work contributed scientifically to the development of a new and economical biocatalyst for ethyl ester production.
H2S adsorption on NaY zeolite Leonardo Hadlich de Oliveira, Joziane Gimenes Meneguin, Marcus Vinicius Pereira, Edson Antonio da Silva, Wilson Mantovani Grava, et al. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2019
Effect of solution pH and influence of water hardness on caffeine adsorption 21st International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering Chisa 2014 and 17th Conference on Process Integration Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction Pres 2014, 2014
Effect of solution ph and influence of water hardness on caffeine adsorption onto activated carbons 21st International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering Chisa 2014 and 17th Conference on Process Integration Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction Pres 2014, 2014
Influence of temperature and moisture content on immobilized Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase action in transesterification reactions Chisa 2012 20th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering and Pres 2012 15th Conference Pres, 2012
Production of ethyl esters by transesterification of canola oil with Burkholderia cepacia lipase: Influence of alcohol to oil ratio, temperature, and amount of enzyme Chisa 2012 20th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering and Pres 2012 15th Conference Pres, 2012
Diff erent methods for extracting oil from the microalga Scenedesmus accuminatus for biodiesel production Brazilian Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2012
Removal of fe (II) in fixed bed of nay zeolite Maria Angélica Simões Dornellas de Barros, Indianara Conceição Ostroski, João Henrique Dantas, Rafael Luan Sehn Canavesi, Edson Antonio da Silva, et al. Acta Scientiarum Technology, 2011
Chromium adsorption in olive stone activated carbon Milton Rogério Pereira, Pedro Augusto Arroyo, Maria Angélica Simões Dornellas de Barros, Viviane Monteiro Sanches, Edson Antonio da Silva, et al. Adsorption, 2006
Influence of the zinc content on aromatics formation over zinc-containing ultra-stable Y zeolites American Chemical Society Division of Petroleum Chemistry Preprints, 1991